Key result
Professional cycling is linked to ~18% lower femoral neck BMD compared to healthy controls.
Why the study?
Professional cycling involves extensive endurance training with non weight-bearing exercise, factors often linked to lower bone mineral density, but its impact on BMD in professional cyclists was unclear.
Does professional cycling affect bone mineral density in young healthy males?
Observational (n=60)
Does professional cycling affect bone mineral density in young healthy males?
Absolute Event Rate: 1.135% vs 1.248%
p-value: p=<0.001
Professional cycling is associated with significantly lower bone mineral density, particularly at the femoral neck, compared to healthy active males.
Professional cyclists show lower BMD than controls; leaves open whether this warrants screening or loading interventions in endurance athletes.
Professional cycling combines extensive endurance training with non weight-bearing exercise, two factors often associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD). Therefore BMD was measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 30 professional road cyclists (mean (SD) age: 29.1 (3.4) years; height: 178.5 (6.7) cm; weight: 71.3 (6.1) kg; %fat mass: 9.7 (3.2)%; VO (2)max: 70.5 (5.5) ml.kg (-1).min (-1)) and in 30 young healthy males used as reference (28.6 (4.5) years; 176.5 (6.3) cm; 73.4 (7.3) kg; 20.7 (5.8)%). Adjusting for differences in age, height, fat mass, lean body mass, and calcium intake by ANCOVA, professional cyclists had similar head BMD (p=0.383) but lower total body (1.135 (0.071) vs. 1.248 (0.104) g.cm (-2); p<0.001), arms (0.903 (0.075) vs. 0.950 (0.085), p=0.028), legs (1.290 (0.112) vs. 1.479 (0.138); p<0.001), spine (0.948 (0.100) vs. 1.117 (0.147) g.cm (-2); p<0.001), pelvis (1.054 (0.084) vs. 1.244 (0.142), p<0.001), lumbar spine (1.046 (0.103) vs. 1.244 (0.167), P<0.001), and femoral neck BMD (0.900 (0.115) vs. 1.093 (0.137), p<0.001) compared to reference subjects. Professional cycling appears to negatively affect BMD in young healthy and highly active males, the femoral neck being the most affected site (-18%) in spite of the elevated muscle contractions inherent to the activity.
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Campion et al. (2010) conducted an observational in Bone mineral density (n=60). Professional cycling vs. Young healthy males was evaluated on Total body bone mineral density (g/cm2) (p=<0.001). Professional cycling was associated with significantly lower bone mineral density compared to healthy controls, particularly at the femoral neck (-18%; p<0.001).
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