STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF SPORTS FOR PREVENTION OF OSTEOPOROSIS

The increase in the geriatric population has caused an increase in the incidence of osteoporosis, which may lead to fractures. Furthermore, the problem of bedridden elderly persons is becoming worse in our country. However, the present generation has shown interest in maintaining health by participating in athletics. We report a study of the effects of sports on the prevention of osteoporotic fractures. We conducted a survey of bore mineral density (BMD ; measured by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry method) and bone mineral component of the 2nd metatarsal bone (GS/D; measured by the microdensitometry method) in elderly persons who have played gateball, a game similar to croquet, from 1991 to 1995. We compared the BMD and ΣGS/D of gateball players, healthy elderly persons, and elderly persons who had suffered fractures. The BMD and LGS/D of gateball playecs were greater than those of healthy elderly persons, except for femoral neck BMD of women in their 60s and the L2-4 BMD. The BMD and ΣGS/D of gateball players were greater than those of elderly women who had suffered bone fractures. At L2-4, 3 male and 28 female gateball players had a BMD less than the break threshold point (90 percentile of BMD of persons who had suffered bone fractures), and 15 female gateball players had a BMD less than the (60th percentile) . At the femoral neck BMD, 3 male and 19 female gateball players had a BMD less than the break threshold, but none had a BMD less than the break point. We conclude that gateball is effective for prevention of osteoporosis and fractures. In 1992 the BMD of gateball players was maintained for 1 year, except for femoral trochanter BMD. We conclude that the effects of low-intensity sports such as gateball differs in various parts of human bone. In 1995 we followed up 26 players. Compared with those in healthy elderly persons, decreases, of ΣGS/D and L2-4 and femoral neck BMD were less in gateball players. The BMD in five persons who had stopped playeing gateball decreased more than in those who had continued playing. One woman suffered a fracture of the distal radius. From these results we conclude that sports are effective for the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures, and that it is necessary to continue playing sports.