Cycling leads to bone loss...

[airbrake]

Alright, the title is slightly misleading... perhaps I should say 'if cycling is your sole form of exercise, it can lead to bone loss'.

Despite years of high intensity cycling, and a diet rich in calcium, I have been diagnosed as having thin bones (osteoporosis). It turns out that non-weight bearing exercises such as cycling and swimming do not encourage healthy bone growth.

Weight bearing exercises including (within reason) impacts to the limbs promote higher bone density formation. Although I wanted to take up jogging as an alternative exercise, I had to stop due to back pain. I therefore concentrated solely on biking thinking that would be sufficient given the distance and stress I was placing on the body.

Weak bones mean a susceptibility to hip fractures. If I had been mixing weight bearing exercises with cycling, my low speed fall last November would have probably had a different outcome.

 

[fossyant]

May we ask your age. You are quite right though, but also can be genetic. Oh did you bust your hip...eek

 

[Piemaster]

Doesn't sound good at all. Is there any action you can take which will mitigate it to any extent?

Cycling and swimming. Only exercises I actually enjoy, even if I my patricipation is nothing like intense.

I watched a program a few years ago about Chris Boardman (can't remember exactly what about - some record attempt) and he had just been diagnosed in the early stages of something similar. His doctor didn't regard it as a huge problem at the time as he was still young enough to take action to deal with it.

 

[ColinJ]

I remember reading an article about that a few years back. A well-known American cyclist had a fall like yours and broke his hip. Same diagnosis!

If I remember correctly, it's due to a combination of lack of the load-bearing and impacts that stimulate bone growth, together with calcium loss in sweat.

Er, yes!

 

[slowmotion]

That was an interesting article. Thank-you for posting the link.

 

[snorri]

It's not cycling, it's taking cycle sport or any other sport, to extremes that's the problem.

 

[Riverman]

Swings and round abouts though IMO as jogging all the time is bad for your knees. Variety is the key.

 

[blubb]

That is pretty interesting. Always wondered if all professional cyclists had such thin bones.

What i also heard that bones get stronger through small/medium damages. Would at least explain why mountainbiker/downhiller cope with falls much better and more often.

 

[Deafie]

Low levels of vitamin D will lead to depleted calcium in the bones regardless of physical condition. Drinkers beware!!!!

 

[marzjennings]

Sounds like a roadie decease to me. As a mountain biker I have a full diet of bumped trees and crashes to keep my bones healthy.

 

[airbrake]

May we ask your age. You are quite right though, but also can be genetic. Oh did you bust your hip...eek

I've just turned 52 - the consultant said it's an unusual amount of bone loss for my age. None of my relatives have ever been diagnosed with osteoporosis, so it looks unlikely to be genetic.

Yes, bust hip - the ball end of the femur broke clean off.

 

[airbrake]

Doesn't sound good at all. Is there any action you can take which will mitigate it to any extent?

Cycling and swimming. Only exercises I actually enjoy, even if I my patricipation is nothing like intense.

I watched a program a few years ago about Chris Boardman (can't remember exactly what about - some record attempt) and he had just been diagnosed in the early stages of something similar. His doctor didn't regard it as a huge problem at the time as he was still young enough to take action to deal with it.

I've been told of various calcium supplements that can be prescribed, but the tests will have to come first. In the meantime, I'm eating more sardines than normal (obviously high calcium content in the bones), and keeping up the dairy products. I started using weights today, and I am going to walk much more.

Interesting about Chris Boardman - I hadn't heard that before.

I'm sure you'll be fine with the cycling and swimming - I just became too focussed on cycling to the exclusion of other forms of exercise.. I loved every minute of it though - up to the break.

 

[airbrake]

I remember reading an article about that a few years back. A well-known American cyclist had a fall like yours and broke his hip. Same diagnosis!

If I remember correctly, it's due to a combination of lack of the load-bearing and impacts that stimulate bone growth, together with calcium loss in sweat.

Er, yes!

Thanks for the link ColinJ, - very interesting. I wish I had known previously of calcium loss in sweat.

 

[XmisterIS]

IMHO, one of the best sports you can do to maintain good, strong bone density is rock climbing (bouldering in particular). There's a climbing gym near me that I use once or twice a week and in the Summer I do a fair amount of outdoor climbing. It requires a phenomenal amount of strength all over your body.

 

[Piemaster]

It apparently ended Chris Boardmans career. Theres a few articles if you google 'chris boardman osteoporosis' but there's a Daily Mail one here. I hadn't actually realised that was the reason for his retirement.