Your skeleton is made up of 206 named bones. These bones can be long and thick like your femur or thigh bones or very small like the anvil bones in your ears. Some of your bones are responsible for bearing your weight---for example, your tibia or shin bones. Other bones, such as your ribs and skull, provide vital protection to fragile internal organs. A strong skeleton is a healthy skeleton and bone strength is affected by a number of factors.
The Need for Strong Bones
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, bone strength and mass decline as you age and as a result of lowered activity levels. This can lead to skeletal conditions such as osteoporosis, which is sometimes referred to as brittle bone disease. The stronger your bones, the less of an impact aging will have on your skeletal system. In essence, by making sure your bones are as strong as possible, you build a "bone reserve" so that any subsequent bone loss has less of an impact on the strength, therefore reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
Nutritional Factors
Diet plays an important part in maintaining and increasing the strength of your bones. Calcium is a vital mineral that is found within your bones which, along with phosphorous and magnesium, contributes to the hardness and strength of the outermost layer of your skeleton. If your diet is low in any of these vital minerals---or vitamin D, which activates the carrier proteins responsible for transporting these minerals into your bones---your bone strength will decline. According to nutritionist and author Anita Bean, to keep your bones strong, try to consume a diet rich in dairy products, nuts, whole grains and sea food while getting adequate sunshine.
Hormonal Factors
There are two key hormones responsible for your ongoing bone strength: estrogen and testosterone. The production of these hormones declines with age, but numerous lifestyle factors such as heavy smoking, drinking, sedentary lifestyle and premature menopause or andropause---male menopause---can result in a rapid decline in hormone levels and therefore bone strength. Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT, slows bone weakening by normalizing hormonal levels. There are, however, a number of steps you can take to maximize your production of these vital hormones. Eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Do not smoke or drink excessively. Stay within healthy weight parameters. Exercise regularly and get 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure most days.
Weight-Bearing Activity
Your bones respond to the stresses placed on them. If you perform regular bouts of weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging or strength training, your bones will become stronger and denser. Weight-bearing activities stimulate cells called osteoblasts to lay down new bone tissue---a process called ossification. While swimming, cycling and rowing are excellent activities for general fitness and fat burning, they do not put a significant load on your skeleton. If you wish to increase your bone strength, focus your efforts on weight-bearing exercises such as squats, shoulder presses and push-ups.
Age
Bones reach peak strength in your late 20s to early 30s. Prior to reaching this age, your bones are still developing. From your mid 30s on, you gradually lose bone mass and strength. If left unchecked, this will will result in osteopenia, which may lead to osteoporosis. Bone loss is part of the aging process but can be minimized by following a mineral-rich diet containing plenty of calcium, vitamin D and phosphorous and engaging in regular weight-bearing activity.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2009
- "The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition"; Anita Bean; 2009
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology"; Gerard J. Tortora and Bryan H. Derrickson; 2008
