'Bones don't really get boost from exercise'

25 July 2016 - 09:41 By Staff reporter

Gurus say exercise prevents weak bones, but there is no research to back that.

The idea that exercise boosts bone density is believed to come from the fact that bedridden people and astronauts lose bone mass.But a decade of research, which included using DEXA machines that measure bone density with X-rays, has only found a minuscule exercise effect.Even more recent studies using highly sensitive machinery has found no evidence that bones become stronger through exercise or are protected from osteoporosis.However, studies have found that with older people, exercise has decreased the risk of breaks and fractures. This is likely to be explained by the fact that stronger muscles lead to fewer falls.But exercise may have an unlikely benefit for people with weaker bones.Researchers suspect that exercise may make bones healthier through what is known as bone quality.No one knows what bone quality is yet, but this may explain why some people, who appear to have strong bones, get fractures, while those with bones that look fragile do not. ..

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