Body Composition, Bone Mass and Bone Geometry in Adolescent Athletes

Abstract Background: Sedentary behavior is considered a health risk independent of physical activity. We evaluated the relationship between sedentary behavior, bone mass, and bone geometry among young male basketball and volleyball players.Methods: Fifty-five athletes (basketball n=21; volleyball n=34) aged 14 to 17 years old were included. Body composition and bone mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, comprising bone mineral density, bone mineral content at the lumbar spine (L1-L4), and femoral neck. Bone quality was evaluated by bone geometry considering the femur strength index, section modulus, cross-sectional moment of inertia, and cross-sectional area. Information on all foods and beverages were obtained by a nutritionist through a 24-hour food recall and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The sedentary behavior was assessed using the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire. A series of multilevel linear regression models were fitted to explore whether there was variation for players' body composition, bone parameters, diary nutrient intake and sedentary behavior by sport. All models were fitted using Bayesian methods.Results: Body composition and bone mass values were high for both basketball and volleyball players. However, there was no substantial variation between players by sport for body composition. Adjusting for age, there was no association of sedentary behavior on both bone mass and geometry among the athletes. Except for femoral strength index, age had a substantial moderate to large association with all bone mass and geometry indicators. Lastly, there was no substantial influence of sport (level-2 unit) on the estimates of the association between sedentary behavior and age with bone mass and geometry, as uncertainty estimates for group-level effects were high. Conclusions: In conclusion, there is no association between sedentary behaviour and bone mass and bone geometry, showing that accumulated training loads (15+ h/week) among young basketball and volleyball players are critical; they produce a positive stimulus on bone mass and bone geometry development.

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Can the sedentary behavior of basketball and volleyball players impact bone mass and bone geometry?

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching ◽

10.1177/17479541211064415 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174795412110644

Author(s):

Mauricio Etchebehere ◽

Raiany Rosa Bergamo ◽

Humberto Moreira Carvalho ◽

Anderson Marques de Moraes ◽

Gil Guerra-Júnior

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Bone Mass ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Bone Mineral ◽

Bone Geometry ◽

Strength Index ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Bone Parameters ◽

Uncertainty Estimates ◽

Volleyball Players

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between sedentary behavior, bone mass, and bone geometry among young male basketball and volleyball players. This cross-sectional study included 55 adolescent basketball ( n = 21) and volleyball ( n = 34) players (14–17 years). Body composition (body mass index, fat mass, and lean mass) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, comprising bone mineral density, bone mineral content at the lumbar spine, and femoral neck. Bone geometry considered the femur strength index, section modulus, cross-sectional moment of inertia, and cross-sectional area. Dietary intake was obtained through a semiquantitative questionnaire, and the sedentary behavior, by the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire. Linear regression models, fitted by Bayesian methods, explored the variation of the variables by sport. Body composition and bone mass values were high for both sports, but there was no variation for body composition. Adjusting for age, there was no association of sedentary behavior on bone parameters. For femoral strength index, age had a moderate to large association with all bone indicators. Lastly, there was influence of sport (level-2 unit) on the estimates of the association between sedentary behavior and age with bone indicators, as uncertainty estimates for group-level effects were high. There is no association between sedentary behavior and bone parameters, showing that accumulated training loads (15+ h/wk) among young basketball and volleyball players are critical; producing a positive stimulus on bone parameters development.

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