Here's some science I wish I knew before I was in my 30s. You can make your bones stronger by doing or taking the right things, which will cover. But the amount of bone you have and your bone density is mostly locked in by the time you're 30, when your growth plates are fused. After that density stays the same for a few decades and then starts to drop. Unless you do the right things to stop it. This is especially important if you're like me and one of your parents has bone issues like osteoporosis or osteopenia. Thanks, Emma. Your genetics determine 70 to 80% of your total bone density. have issues, you can do things to maximize that final 20 to 30 percent. Before it's too late. Women have about five times greater risk than men, but men can also have issues. I found out last year that I have the bone density of a healthy 120-year-old. So what can we do about it? It comes down to growth stimuli and building blocks. Growth stimuli are all about putting stress on your bones. Back in 1892, a German surgeon named Julius Wolfe published what is now known as Wolf's Law. The short version being that bones will adapt to their degree of mechanical loading. Astronauts lose bone density because that degree of loading drops to zero while they're in space. And studies show that fensers and tennis players gain bone density in their dominant arms and legs. Swimming, cycling, and running don't really help much. Gymnastics is great because when you land, you're loading your skeleton with many times your body weight. Jiu-jitsu and football are good, and lifting heavy weights is great. A general rule of thumb is to combine heavy weight lifting, especially with compound lifts that load your skeleton like deadlifts and squats, with activities that have varied movement that includes a lot of jumping and landing, But your body can only build bone if you're consuming the right building blocks to do so. Your mom was right about drinking your milk, which we'll cover in the next video. And soon a long one on the tubes.
Additional notes
Replying to @spam acc There IS still hope (for me)! The LIFTMOR study run in Australia found that, in older men and women with low bone density, lifting just twice a week, 30 minutes, 4 exercises (at 85% 1RM) was actually able to IMPROVE bone density by anywhere from 1.5%-6%, depending on region. There are also some cool hacks / tricks that I’ve been researching that might be able to move the needle a bit more than the basic methods. Stay tuned! ✍️ NOTES: Football might only be good because of the linked weightlifting Weightlifting will NOT stunt kids growth. But corticosteroids like prednisone can. (Ventolin is better for asthma IF It works for you / your kid) Some studies give the range of genetic heritability of bone density as 50-80% rather than 70-80% (PMID: 36176357) Running isn’t so helpful because of how much the impact is absorbed by the feet, hips, and fascia, but sprinting can be beneficial for bones! 📚STUDIES - For a written transcript with all linked studies, check out my website #science #health #nutrition #bonehealth #osteopenia #osteoporosis #stem #exercise #edutok
References
- LIFTMOR study, named in caption; no direct DOI, PMID, or source URL was listed in the workbook row.
- Genetic Risk for Osteoporosis and the Benefit of Adherence to Healthy Lifestyles. PMID: 36176357. DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1605114. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36176357/