Abstract
Changes in bone mineral density (BMD) have been associated with association football (soccer) participation. Seasonal changes in BMD of soccer players have been proposed as well. However, previous investigations were based on short-term observations. Actually, longitudinal investigation of BMD in soccer players is lacking, possibly because of frequent inter-club transfer, changes in club policy or continued availability of the relevant facilities. Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)-measured areal BMD (aBMD) was obtained during the competitive season in an elite soccer player along 10 consecutive years. Findings showed that (1) aBMD tends to increase with age, independently of body mass; (2) The right (preferred, kicking) leg has higher aBMD than the left (non-preferred, support) one; (3) Meaningful (i.e., >least significant change, LSC) changes in aBMD take place along the season; and (4) The off-season (transition) period has no effect on aBMD. Findings prompt for future research aimed at clarifying the long-term and seasonal patterns of bone characteristics in soccer in relation with age and type/dose of training. Season-around, long-term scrutiny of bone status in soccer players would help controlling for possible changes/asymmetries in bone mineralization/strength.
Highlights
Bone mineral density (BMD; i.e., the amount of mineral per unit bone volume) is a widely used, standardized parameter in the evaluation of bone strength, representing a key variable when assessing bone quality
While true BMD (g/cm3) can be measured using quantitative CT or MRI (Di Iorgi et al, 2018), the widespread use of these techniques is hampered by high radiation dose and/or cost; in this work, we used Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), an accurate, low-radiation, Bone Mineral Density in Soccer widespread method to measure areal BMD. aBMD contributes 70% of mechanical strength at the femur and 40% at the spine (Austin et al, 2012) and is clinically feasible, the assessment of bone tissue and mechanical properties being limited to a few research facilities specialized in skeletal biomechanics
whole-body less head (WBLH) aBMD positively albeit non-significantly correlated with age (Figure 1)
Summary
Bone mineral density (BMD; i.e., the amount of mineral per unit bone volume) is a widely used, standardized parameter in the evaluation of bone strength, representing a key variable when assessing bone quality. It has been demonstrated that reducing bone mineral content or density is associated with an increase in fracture risk (Kopperdahl et al, 2014; Curtis et al, 2016). While true BMD (g/cm3) can be measured using quantitative CT or MRI (Di Iorgi et al, 2018), the widespread use of these techniques is hampered by high radiation dose and/or cost; in this work, we used Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), an accurate, low-radiation, Bone Mineral Density in Soccer widespread method to measure areal BMD (aBMD, g/cm2; Jain and Vokes, 2017). While true BMD (g/cm3) can be measured using quantitative CT or MRI (Di Iorgi et al, 2018), the widespread use of these techniques is hampered by high radiation dose and/or cost; in this work, we used Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), an accurate, low-radiation, Bone Mineral Density in Soccer widespread method to measure areal BMD (aBMD, g/cm2; Jain and Vokes, 2017). aBMD contributes 70% of mechanical strength at the femur and 40% at the spine (Austin et al, 2012) and is clinically feasible, the assessment of bone tissue and mechanical properties being limited to a few research facilities specialized in skeletal biomechanics
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