Diet:How Exercise with Diet Affects Your Bones

Diet

Diet:discover How Exercise with Diet Affects Your Bones

Although caloric restriction is associated with delayed aging, a new study notes for the first time that together with physical activity worsens bone health

If you are determined to return to the routine after the holidays putting into practice all the good purposes (exercise, eat a healthy diet or take off the pounds gained by excess of beach bar), it is important that you keep in mind that there are combinations of these desires that They can be harmful. At least, that is what a new study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, has just shown, which shows that exercising and restricting calorie intake can affect bone health at the same time.

The researchers themselves, led by Maya Styner, associate professor of medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of North Carolina at Chaper Hill (USA), acknowledge their confusion at the results obtained: "These findings were somewhat surprising to us," says Styner.

"Previous studies in mice have shown us that exercise combined with a normal calorie diet and even a high-calorie diet is good for bone health. Now we are learning that this is not true for exercise along with a calorie-restricted diet. "he insists.

"Most people reach peak bone density between 20 and 30 years old"

Looking back there is no doubt that the scientific literature supports the practice of regular exercise to have healthy bones. The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the United States (NIAMS) recognizes: “Bones, like muscles, are living tissues that respond to exercise and are strengthened. In general, women and young men who play sports regularly achieve higher bone density (the highest level of consistency and strength of the bones) than those who do not exercise. Most people reach the peak bone density between 20 and 30 years of age. From that age, bone density generally begins to decrease. ”

Loss of bone density or osteoporosis is a disease that turns bones into en crystal ’. In fact, they become brittle and prone to fractures. According to the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, it affects 3.5 million people in our country. Among the factors that trigger it include low levels of calcium and vitamin D, as well as eating disorders, such as anorexia.

Caloric restriction

In fact, a paper, also published in the "Journal of Bone and Mineral Research" and carried out with 218 non-obese young adults, found that caloric restriction, although it could delay aging, causes bone loss in clinically important areas of osteoporotic fractures.

The new trial focuses on fat in the bone marrow of mice. Although bone fat is poorly understood, it is believed to be harmful to mammalian bones, including humans, because it weakens them.

Less fat is usually an indication of better bone health. Previous studies by Styner have analyzed the effects of calorie intake on bone marrow fat along with the role that exercise plays. The researcher and her team discovered that, in obesity caused by excess calories, the amount of bone marrow fat increases. Exercise in obese and normal-weight mice decreased bone marrow fat and improved bone density.

The latest study analyzed what happens with bone marrow fat and overall bone health by restricting calories. There were four groups of mice in total: one with a regular diet (DR), a group with a calorie-restricted diet (RC), a group of DR who exercised and another of RC who also practiced it. Mice in the RC group ate 30% less than those ingested in the regular diet.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a 'moderately active' woman in her 30s should consume 2,000 calories per day. A reduction of 30% would be equivalent to a diet of 1,400 calories per day, which is approximately the suggested amount for those trying to lose about 500 grams a week.

Styner discovered that mice in the RC group lost weight, but they also had an increase in bone marrow fat.

"This was a slight caloric restriction and we found a significant increase in bone marrow fat," the scientists say. "This group also had a decrease in the amount of bone: they had less bone overall due to diet."

Bone loss

Both groups of mice in caloric restriction received vitamin and mineral supplements to match the amount that the group following the normal diet received from the additional foods they ate. This, according to the researchers, "is an indication that the effect on bone health was due to caloric restriction and not the lack of nutrients."

When exercise was introduced in the lower calorie consumption group, bone marrow fat decreased as it had done in previous studies, but the overall quantity and quality of bone also decreased. Instead of making the bones more robust, the sport made them more fragile when combined with caloric restriction.

"Looking at this from a human perspective, even a low-calorie diet that is very healthy from a nutritional point of view can have negative effects on bone health, especially in combination with exercise," says the lead author of the trial.

"This is important for women because, as we age, our bone health begins to decrease naturally. Your calorie intake and exercise routine can have a great impact on the strength of your bones and, therefore, on your risk of fracture or fractures. "

Styner emphasizes that his team now plans to conduct more research to understand the purpose of bone marrow fat and why it is affected by diet and exercise.

Proper diet

Speaking to Alimente, Dr. Domingo Carrera, a specialist in nutrition at the Medical-Surgical Center for Digestive Diseases (CMED), acknowledges: "I think it is an initial study on a very interesting topic but it does not provide great explanations as to why This happens, and the conclusions of a study in laboratory animals are not always extrapolated in humans.It is a work to take into account and investigate more about these effects, since obesity is known to cause bone demineralization and greater fragility. of the bones, which entails more risk of fracture.And on the other hand, it is known that the most effective tools to combat overweight and obesity are a food modification with calorie reduction, which comes mainly from sugars and saturated fats (although not exaggerated, 1,500 kcal / day approx) and mild-moderate but continuous exercise. "

These effects on bone density may be due, according to the expert, "to a contribution poor in protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D. Therefore, the caloric restriction must be of saturated fats and sugars, but not of proteins without fat (fish, chicken, turkey, rabbit, skimmed eggs and dairy), legumes and grains in general and all the variety of vegetables and fruits, except for those with the highest glycemic index.In addition, the loss must be progressive and not accelerated (0.5 -1 kg / week), since then the body will burn and eliminate white fat deposit and not metabolically useful brown fat or bone fat.

To be able to diet and exercise without consequences, "the diet should be restrictive in saturated fats and sugars, moderate in complex carbohydrates and with a good contribution of vegetable and animal proteins, vegetables, low glycemic fruits, legumes, grains and nuts in moderation.Good hydration and good sources of vitamins and minerals.It should not be very restrictive in amounts, but selective in sugars and saturated fats.It should be accompanied by mild-moderate exercise, predominantly cardiovascular, although with a part of strength work without a lot of weight but continuous (60-70% cardiovascular and 30-40% anaerobic). It can be between 150-200 minutes per week of walking, gentle running, cycling, swimming and a little weight with not much weight and more repetitions, "he recalls the doctor of the CMED.

Read Also - 6 Ideas to Free Yourself from Sadness

Don't forget to share the article!

Search This Blog

Health For Life