Resistance Training or Aerobic Exercise: Which Is Best for Increasing Bone Density?

Most people exercise to improve their body composition and define their muscles, but there’s a body part you can’t see that also benefits from exercise – your bones. We start to lose bone mass early in life. If you’re over the age of 30, your bones are already in a negative balance, meaning you’re losing bone mass quicker than you’re replacing it. Getting adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D and not smoking are simple things you can do to maintain healthy bone density as you age. Another thing you can do is put more stress on your bones through exercise. Bones that are stressed through high-impact exercise and resistance training lay down new bone tissue – but what type of exercise is best for this? Will you get more benefits in the weight room or on the treadmill?

The Impact of Exercise on Bone Density

Most doctors recommend that people concerned about osteoporosis do high-impact exercise like high-intensity aerobics, jogging, jumping rope or other forms of exercise where both feet leave the ground at the same time – but there’s evidence that resistance training is just as beneficial for building bone mass – or even more so. According to research discussed in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, both high-impact aerobic exercise and resistance training have benefits, but resistance training may have more bone-building benefits than aerobic exercise.

Why is resistance training so effective? When a mechanical load is placed on a muscle through training, not only is new muscle tissue built, bone cells called osteoblasts respond by laying down new bone. This increase in bone density seems to be site-specific, so doing weighted squats won’t build bone density in your upper body. Compound strength-training moves are especially beneficial because you’re working multiple muscles and stimulating bone growth in both the upper and lower body at the same time.

How hard do you have to strength train to benefit your bones? Like muscles, bones respond to progressive overload. Using greater resistance stimulates bone growth better than using lighter weights. According to the Sports Journal, to boost bone mass through resistance training you need to lift at an intensity of 70% of your one rep max and train at least two to three times a week.

Just as progressive overload is important for building lean body mass, gradually increasing the load is critical for bone development as well. Your muscles eventually adapt to a given load and stop increasing in size and so do bones. Doing compound exercises and training upper body, lower body and core ensures that all bones are stimulated to grow. People who run have a greater bone density in their legs but fall short in the upper body. You need a well-rounded strength-training program to reap the full benefits. Don’t forget to add plyometrics or jump training. Explosive power moves are effective for building bone density.

Is It Ever Too Late to Build Bone Density Through Resistance Training?

It appears that even women past menopause can boost bone density through resistance training. Post-menopausal women who participated in a study at McMaster’s University in Ontario increased bone density in their spine by 9% over 12 months through weight training. Of course, resistance-training has other benefits for women past menopause. Loss of muscle mass accelerates at this time and resistance training helps to preserve it.

The Bottom Line?

Aerobic exercise has benefits, especially from a cardiovascular standpoint, but you’ll get the most “bang for your buck” from a bone perspective by doing a balanced strength-training program that progressively overloads your muscles. Not only will you look more toned and defined in a swimsuit, but you’ll also be lowering your risk of a painful fracture. Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn’t it?

 

References:

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 31(1): 25-30. 1999.

The Sports Journal. “Training to Improve Bone Density in Adults: A Review and Recommendation”

Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev., 31(1), 45–50.

Natural News. “Bone Density Sharply Enhanced By Weight Training, Even in the Elderly”

 

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