March 03, 2009

Runners: More Dense than Weight Lifters?

I love this picture. It perfectly captures how I feel about weight lifting.

Mind you, I feel that way about running too. So while I might have a bias in this post, at least I'm equally biased about both running and lifting weights.

And about parents.

My mother called me up on the telephone, and said the following: "I just got back from a visit to the doctor, and I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Gulp. "Okay, what's that?"
She said, sadly, "In another 20 years, you're going to have to worry about osteoporosis."


After I'd recovered my breath, I wanted to shake her.


20 years? Loads of time. I can take calcium, lift weights, buy a house that doesn't have steep steps. I mean, that's one of the benefits of having older relatives, to alert you to what's coming in your future. In each generation, we learn. My grandmother was terrified to walk down even a few steps due to a fear of falling and fracturing her fragile bones. My mother prepared by eating right and exercising, and so has only a much mild version of the disorder.

These days, there is such a proliferation of research on ways to maintain bone density that there's no excuse not to do what I can to strengthen my bones.

Much as I loathe exercise, it's top of the list. The good news is that there's a lot of research into how bone density is affected by different types of exercise.

The illustrious Dr. Mirkin quotes a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, March 2009, that finds sprint cyclists have denser bones than long distance cyclists, who in turn have denser bones than sedentary control subjects.


And another study finds that runners are even further along in the bone mineral density scale, even more so than weight lifters.

It always impresses Crabby when I put research into chart format, so here's my summary of these two studies. (Not done to scale.)



I wish the studies had gone into more detail about the comparisons between weight lifters and runners, or whether it made a difference what type of runner you are. But the comforting thought here is that as long as I get off the couch, I'm making progress.

And to be thorough, I thought I should include another chart:



I mean, are these studies really going to change your mind? You've already got a workout routine that you enjoy don't mind doing. Would you change your workout as a result of a couple of studies?




Weight lifting photo courtesy JonTunn.

37 comments:

  1. Nah, I have to read at least 3-4 studies concluding something is bad for me before I make any changes, and at that, I need to read them first hand to make sure there aren't any BLATANT flaws in the scientific design. Anal retentive..i know.

    ~rupal

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  2. As a smug bastard, no changing my routine necessary. I've got dense bones that'll make a couch potato mashed with envy.

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  3. Unless you plan to do exercise you enjoy it doesn't happen. I think doing ANY exercise consistently is better than reading studies deciding exactly what is best for you, and then not getting round to it. Well, that's how it works for me anyway!

    I like jogging/exercise bike/exercise DVDs, and although I have some free weights I don't use them very often. I should do. But I tend to go with the thought that doing some kind of exercise is better than doing no exercise, even if all I've got energy/time for is a 20 minute walk.

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  4. "After I'd recovered my breath, I wanted to shake her."

    Oh gosh yes how true. I only hope I don't do that to my kids in a few decades from now; it drives me bananas!

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  5. Researchers go back and forth about what's best. But I don't think it matters a great deal which you pick, so long as you're doing something. That's where people get in trouble - then they quit. Stick with what works for you.

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  6. I just got the same info from my mom this week. Her Dr's automatic solution? Drugs. No mention of exercise or calcium or anything.

    But hey, since I both run and lift weights, I guess I'm on the right track to preventing bone loss!

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  7. So if I'm running and lifting weights I should be good!

    :)

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  8. I always love the pictures you find. Too funny. I'm highly dubious that runners would have denser bones than weight lifters. I would like more information on the kind of running being done, how long the study was done, how big the sample group was, etc.

    Love the graphs though :)

    - Dave

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  9. I'm a runner and I'm sticking to it! I saw the study also. It's always nice to see something supporting what one already does
    :-)

    Sometimes, however, it is prudent to intuitively make a health choice decision, rather than wait for science or medicine to "figure it out," while your life is ticking away. As was said, "choose wisely."

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  10. Heh...so my life as a "sedentary control subject" is at an end is what you're saying ? :)

    I'm just hoping eating well and lots of running and exercise will keep me fit and flexible and do what I can to fight the crunchiness.

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  11. Honestly, I might do a day of running sprints every other week or something as a result of reading this.

    But other than that, my knee won't allow much more than that. Any data on BMD of elliptical trainer users?

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  12. Tricia, don't elliptical machines spare your knees from the impact? Seems like that's what helps with the BMD more than anything else. So basically you're doomed either way -- bad knees or porous bones?
    On the other hand, you can do weight lifting sitting down...

    Geosomin, I think that's a good point. We should be grateful to the couch potatoes of this world, since they do such good service in providing an end point for research data ;)

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  13. Tricia, I'd assume elliptical machines are only as good as, say, biking- still good for you! But you maintain bone density by doing things that are high-impact, like running. We learned in school (hee- flashback to health class) that swimming, for example, while awesome for you in every other way, doesnt do you any good in terms of preventing osteoperosis. On the other hand, when we pointed out that all that impact is hard on people's knees, we were told that a good plan was to get our aerobic exercise in a way we liked and could handle, like swimming (or the elliptical), but make a point of doing some walking in a day, to add a little impact to our impact-free activities.

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  14. And walkers, what about us? even if I'm not bashing my knees and ankles into constant pain can I have some benefit, please?

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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  15. I can get a grasp on this topic because the charts show the way. Excellent presentation Merry.

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  16. Mary Anne, on osteoporosis prevention sites you always see walking recommended as a great low impact weight bearing exercise.

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  17. Yay Charts!

    I guess it would depend on *why* I was doing the exercise. I mean, if I'm lifting to help me loose weight and along comes a study (I think I'd need more than one though) that says that lifting actually slows weight loss, I might stop lifting.

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  18. Yay Charts!

    I guess it would depend on *why* I was doing the exercise. I mean, if I'm lifting to help me loose weight and along comes a study (I think I'd need more than one though) that says that lifting actually slows weight loss, I might stop lifting.

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  19. Those are the BEST. CHARTS EVER!!!!!!

    While I enjoy lifting weights, I despise distance running with a fiery passion that burns in the depth of my soul.
    So, I walk.
    I also ride my bike, swim, do yoga, teach pilates, and torture myself with cardio workout DVDs by Tony Horton and Gillian Michaels. I try to get enough calcium through food and supplements. I guess I'm not quite in the "smug bastard" range yet, but I'm doing the best I can.
    And I REFUSE to start distance running!

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  20. I love the charts! As a smug bastard who runs AND resistance trains, I adore studies like this. ;) However, when I picture superskinny distance runners I always imagine them at greater risk of having brittle bones-- one of those too much of a good thing, your bone stops becoming stronger in response to the stress kind of things and begins breaking down. But who knows. My strategy is to keep on running but just never let myself become superskinny-- astonishly easy!

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  21. SWEET I'm a runner!!! I'll never have brittle bones..unless I wear them all away to little nubbins running, which my mom tells me weekly that I am doing

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  22. i've found that if your heart's not in it... you're not in it ... you gotta find the w/o that works for you. When i was ultrarunning i found the combo that worked best for me was running followed by a good yoga practice... good for mental and muscle management both.

    Now i'm totally into endurance riding/showing with my horses... Dont even think of it as exercise... i just really want to do it.
    As always YMMV (your mileage may vary)... pick what works for you.. we're all an experiment of one

    trot on friends, trot on
    gp in montana

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  23. My mom has osteoporosis, so I've been more aware of this lately. I got from the doctor said that you want an exercise with *some* impact (walking over swimming, for example, as already noted). I chose running to make up for lost time (having spent many years as doomed couch potato). My doctor also said that people often neglect their upper body bones, so I also started doing upper body strength training. (Although now I do a bit of upper and lower, because I came to like it pretty well.)

    What I'm curious about: what about other factors, such as smoking or eating disorders?

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  24. the graphs so make this post. :D

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  25. Actually, related to Pubsgal's comment re: upper body bones, I wonder if playing volleyball or gymnastics or something like that would help. Impact, and all that.

    I kind of miss running. I was doing it, but then got sidetracked. And with martial arts classes in the evenings, I don't want to get up at 4 the next morning to go to the gym. :P

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  26. I always knew that runners were dense.

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  27. Pubsgal, there are a lot of other factors that I wondered about too.

    I was miffed at first that these studies concentrated on men, since it's the decline in estrogen amounts that causes such loss of bone density in women. But then I thought about it a bit, and decided that these studies were useful because they helped create baseline measurements.

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  28. Thanks for the pie chart - very clear even to me!
    I run, walk and lift weights, so I guess I am quite dense!

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  29. Don't forget about step aerobics and kickboxing! Excellent for bone density because of the impact :)

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  30. I love pie charts. Almost as much as pie.

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  31. Is it sad that I am one of those people who totally DOES change my workout around the latest research?? Yes, yes, it is sad...

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  32. Get a house with steps, so you can keep those legs strong... :-)

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  33. LOVED the charts!!!! I'm an obsessive charter myself. But yours are a lot more entertaining.

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  34. Woo hoo! Another smug bastard here that won't be changing routines, especially after seeing the photo of that woman! Just kidding - I do weights and I run and I love 'em both.

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  35. I am so impressed with your charts, Merry! Other than that, I'm with everyone who wonders about the risk/benefit ratio of running. Some of us just aren't built for it. I'm with everyone, too, who says just go with what makes you happy. Most of us wouldn't be happy with osteoporosis so it's a matter of taking the long view and engaging in lifestyle habits that promote bone health. I guess the trick is finding those that we enjoy so that they actually become habits.

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  36. I'm good with my exercise regime (what? There's a method to my madness? I'm just pulling your leg, its all nice and random. Regime, tehehe, yeah right). No regular running for this chicky!

    Think I'll be drinking lots of milk tomorrow though. Osteoporosis is really scary.

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  37. Another reason to hate runners.

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