Bone Health
by Dietitian Renee McGregor
Bone Health is one of those things we seem to take for granted. It is often thought that the most important time to be focusing on your bone health is during your childhood and adolescent years.
Indeed, while 90% of adult bone mass is in place by the end of adolescence, continuing to look after your bones into your adulthood is still a critical factor in staying mobile for as long as possible.
“The key influencers in maintaining bone health are exercise, nutrition and hormones.”
It is well documented that we can continue to build our bone density all the way into our late 20s. After this point, bone density naturally starts to decline. While genetics do have a part to play in your overall bone health and strength, the process of decline, can be preserved or accelerated by a number of nutritional, lifestyle and environmental factors.
The key influencers in maintaining bone health are exercise, nutrition and hormones.
Staying physically active, doing weight bearing exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on bone health; the mechanical loading of the skeleton is essential for maintenance of normal bone mass and architecture. Activities that involve plyometric and change of direction movements are particularly useful.
Nutrition plays a critical role in bone health with key nutrients being calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamins D, C and K. The sex hormones Oestrogen and testosterone play a huge part in maintaining optimal bone health. This is also why incidence of Osteoporosis increases so significantly in post menopausal women when Oestrogen levels drop.
It is in fact the balance between exercise, energy intake and hormones that is critical for optimal bone health.
To ensure that you are looking after your bones, here are some top tips:
Ensure that you exercise regularly, including weight bearing options at least three times a week.
Consider taking a Vitamin D supplement, especially if your levels are below the recommended values for health; for those who are very physically active, the normal acceptable parameters are too low and you should aim for a value of at least 75.
Ensure that you are consuming at least 3-4 servings of dairy a day where one serving is the equivalent to:
300ml glass of milk
match box size portion of cheese
pot (150g) pot of yoghurt
100g cottage cheese
Include plenty of fruits and vegetables; potato skins, berries and oranges are high in Vitamin C. While dark green leafy vegetables are high in Vitamin K.
Pay specific attention to your diet and overall energy intake if you are someone who trains hard. Look out for signs that you might not be getting enough nutrition:
In females, changes to menstruation
Poor recovery between training sessions
Increased fatigue
Lack of adaptation and progression from training both physically and with body composition
Recurrent injuries, particularly bone related, including stress fractures.
To learn more about Renee McGregor’s work as a dietitian and leading sports and eating disorder specialist, head over to her website here.