This is a very common and serious condition for road cyclists and to a slightly lesser extent XC mountain bikers.

Cyclists have traditionally been ignoring the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis - not that I can blame them as it is not something you want to find out you have.

I would recommend that any half serious cyclist (PARTICULARLY those engaging in long distances) gets a DXA scan to check on the state of their bones. It is naieve to think that this "silent killer" condition is not affecting you if you have not been tested for it.

It was found out years back in my late teens that I had osteoporosis in my lower back and hips after years training as a road cyclist. BELIEVE ME when I say that I am not alone as a cyclist. Riders that frequently ride long distances are at most risk due to sweating out calcium and having lower than normal hormone values.

It is a good idea to suppliment upwards of two grams of calcium daily (Milk WON'T cut it) , undertake loadbearing exercise when possible (squats etc) and to avoid cycling too much or becoming tired all the time.

I am not trying to scare anyone here but want others to be well informed.

Take care

Would weight training help build bone density?

If i remember correctly, Chris Boardman suffers from just such a complaint... not sure if its porosis or penia.

Good job I ride MTB as well as road!

Instead of comparing cyclists to other active people, it would be interesting to see the comparison between cyclists and non-active people. This could then tell us whether cycling is actually causing a problem, or is simply not helping the problem that we would have anyway if we didn't cycle.

I cycle 150 miles a week and in 9 days time I'm cycling to Marseille in France,

to help with My training I play cricket 2 times a week bowling 15 overs a game and also run around 10k a week this I think helps a great deal.

Agree with Chris+W. This is a stupid study design.

I'm a cyclist and I can't run as well as an active person who runs to keep fit. Therefore, cycling decreases your ability to run.

It is the cycling that causes the problem rather than just not making it any better for the reasons I mentioned above.

Couch potatoes will have generally have much better bone density than cyclists will. Even taking part in other activities known to increase bone density including weight training, pylometrics etc may not be very effective when cycling volume is high, it wasn't enough to stop osteoporosis in my case but it probably helped somewhat and I would recommend it for cyclists and other endurance athletes.

Remember that the sufferer usually has absolutely no idea that they may have the condition and is shocked and scared when they find out they have it. The only way to know is to have a bone density scan if you have the courage... Your GP may be reluctant to take it any further and may not take you seriously but a little bit of persistence and crying goes a long way lol.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12608428&highlight;=osteoporosis

I have heard this before and I never really understand. Why should cyclists suffer from low bone density any more than your average couch potato or even someone whose exercise regime involves walking to the supermarket and back a couple of times per week?

I can see that cyclists may not do training which involves impact but neither does the couch potato, so why should cyclists be at higher risk of low bone density unless there is something specific about cycling which causes it (other than just the lack of impact)?

Here we go again. Another study to tell us that something we enjoy can be bad for us. This study comes up with the same conclusions as every other one.

i.e. Eat less salt, sugar and red meat. Don't drink alcohol and don't smoke. Oh and too much caffeine is bad as well.

Eat MORE fruit and veg.

Thanks for that.

With the state of the roads in the UK is this really a problem?!

well said allez mark .....yet another study "going again the grain"..do they just like to be different and contraversial ....last week there was one about dehydration that was ridiculous...surley even the limited force on the pedals could not have an adverse affect...surley some is better than none.That combined with even a minimal ammount of walking a cyclist does is better than a couch potato . to suggest that cyclists are more prone is stupid imo.

I'm waiting for the next study which will probably tell us square wheels are actually quicker!!

Guys I realise that this is not something we may want to admit to but it is a fact that this can a condition we are at risk from.

So are cyclists more prone to osteopenia/osteoporosis than couch potatoes? Yes absolutely, its easy to deny and I urge you all assuming you are a half serious cyclist to go and take a DXA scan to check on bone density. Better still if you have a brother, sister or close relative to bring along (that is NOT a cyclist or endurance athlete) all the better get them checked too. I did and it showed that while all of my family had good bone density I was the odd one out and the only endurance athlete too.

Calcium must be replaced when it is lost through sweat or else it will leech it from bones - do YOU suppliment calcium?

Also endurance athletes generally have high levels of stress hormone cortisol which is highly catabolic to bones - fact. Not only that but as an endurance athlete you will have reduced testosterone levels particularly if you ride long distances, this is generally not something that the couch potato will suffer from. Testosterone and estrogen (which is synthetised directly from testosterone) are necessary agents for building bone density and if levels are low this will lead to loss of bone density.

BTW I have yet to see proof of any serious cyclist that has above average bone density (assuming they are not taking testosterone lol). None of the guys I used to train and race with (all high level) had good bones - all that I got checked were well below average and most had osteopenia, I'm serious and it is sobering enough to find out as there are usually no symptoms until it becomes quite advanced.

Guys if you are unsure get yourself checked out - if you do indeed have low bone density it is not the end of the world and there are many ways of improving it but it is best caught early of course. Cycling can be a great sport and a very healthy activity of course as we all know and it can keep us in great shape and ward off conditions such as heart disease etc, but no activity is perfect for everything.

I'm only taking the time to post this because I care, so fight inactivity and stay healthy!

Thanks

I agree with Allez Mark - this is about diet, not cycling. If you train hard and eat badly you'll have problems.

The first thing I did after I'd read this was to google 'running and osteoporosis' - The first three entries were that running increases the risk of osteoporosis and the fourth said it could help.

Similar with other sports - it seems low weight is a factor or a least trying to maintain a low weight ie certain classes in rowing.

So I had to google inactivity and osteoporois - other than heredity, inactivity is considered the biggest cause. Then they go on to list bad diet - coke, coffee...etc

They and Murr X are not saying it's inactivity. That's not what they're saying at all. The study was comparing cyclists against other active people.

"it’s the lack of impact in our sport that can lead to low bone density, especially in the lower back, which remains immobile and shock-free when riding on smooth roads. "

Road biking almost as bad for you as running shocker

;-)

Given that post menopausal women are particularly prone to osteoporosis, it's interesting that you don't choose to explore if the risk for female cyclists is greater - in fact the studies you site either don't mention the gender of the participants or use male participants.

It seems you didn't really dig very deep into the subject - i would be interested to know more on this angle, as i'm sure other female cyclist would be.

I read playboy during free rides to help with bone density !

Unlike martial artists that have stronger bones than you and I resulting from small fractures from training -- we aren't really busting our backs from riding! And we're sitting on seats which is more passive than running. Don't get me wrong, I'll ride till I die, but giving the body some other stresses like weight training or other activities makes sense to me.

Heck, even walking gives more stress as far as impact to the bones than peddling.

As far as absorption of minerals & nutrients to assist, as people age their intestines become less effective, get clogged and that function diminishes. There's things you can do for that too, that's overlooked by most people.

Hi to you all,This is very interesting and yet also a worry!.This could be seen by the various local authorities and indeed Central Government as an ideal opportunity to be able to boast(doing their bit for the cyclist) and gain political mileage from leaving our roads in the crap state that they are presently in.More over, they could begin a programme of ripping up cycle paths and relaying them with Cobblestones & Large Set Stones,that would cure the problem of the remaining smooth surfaces,then after a trial period and figure fiddling by asssimilation of reduced recorded cases of the problem they could then cover the country with a network of covered cycle to work routes- with the new Back & Bone Therapy Surface.This could be a new salvation for them.A possible downside is Stealth Taxes would thunder in to fund it all despite the potential savings for the NHS and the benefits to the planet.

Interesting stuff - two years ago I fell off a ladder and crushed my L4 vertebra - hurt like hell and I was laid up for some time, but cycling is just about the best thing for it now. I ride road and off-road bikes and both seem to help the ache - as previous posts have said - a healthy diet with everything in moderation is what we need, but I might well get my bone density checked - any tips on the best calcium supplements?

This has been a very interesting thread. I went to my nutritional companies convention and one of the guest speakers was a US astronaut who spent a considerable time on the Muir space station and as a result lost a massive amount of the bone density in his pelvis due to weightlessness despite strapping himself down to a treadmill with the equivalent force of (I think) 50kg backpack each day.

He used our companies bone health product and got back to 10% of his orginal bone density.

Please note that taking loads of calcium does NOT build bone density in the abscense of the other nutrients such as Magnesium, boron, silicon, vit D and vit K. It is important that the calcium/magnesium ratio is 2:1. Inadequate magnesium intact may lead to reduce bone density as high levels of calcium leaches magnesium out of the bone to reduce the calcium.

It would be interesting to see a rebuttal to the recent study made by the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise by informed & independent research.

I'm always sceptical unless I see other research to back-up the argument. Most cyclists know that cross-training, diet & nutrition are big factors towards their health & performance, but there have been studies (see Fluoride effects on bone formation and mineralization are influenced by genetics by BONE, the Official Journal of the International Bone & Mineral Society) to show that flouridation has different effects on different subjects largely due to genetic differences. Ok, this was measured on mice, but the same principle applies. Other studies, say no to flouridation at all...especially in our drinking water (see No to Fluoridation by the Institute of Science in Society) where it states that "It is bad for bones". So, cycling or sports aside, we have an issue with flouride effects on people as a whole and it is something we should be seriously considering.

The following countries have banned flouridation of water: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway , Switzerland, West Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Japan & India have all banned the addition of hydrofluorosilic acid to drinking water. Today's Daily Mail online ask if flouride is good for our health and states: "Although the addition of fluoride to our water has been proved to reduce tooth decay, it is controversial - fluoride may also be linked to increased risks of osteoporosis, kidney problems, and even cancer, and some say it is stealthy mass medication".

So ...why hasn't the Journal's recent study taken these factors into consideration? Are they just trying to justify their paid research and give cyclists something else to worry about besides bad car drivers!

There is plenty of research and online info to show that flouridation in water is a serious concern for many, but something which the govt refuses to accept is a concern to our health.

Keep cycling guys, see you on the road!

Some interesting points.

Article says

Consume less:

Salt - wrong, need more because of sweat loss.

Sugar: including refined or processed foods, which increase calcium excretion from the body and stimulate the adrenal glands - modern energy drinks-gels are full of this shiit, I just have diluted squash.

Red meat: too much protein won’t help build bone density - typical veggie comment

Carbonated soft drinks: phosphoric acid upsets the body’s calcium/phosphorous ratio, which stimulates release of the parathyroid hormone and reduces calcium uptake - true

Alcohol

Tobacco

Caffeine - fit peeps won't be taking these either

I suggest a good glass of proper milk after each ride, which supplies everything you need.

As regards impacts, I travel over roads infested with potholes, maybe they're saving my life.

Just be healthy I say.

All the folk l've ever known suffering with osteoprosis have been old ladies who never rode bicycles, & also some of them had senile dementia & that was once, mythically, blamed on using aluminium cooking utensils...

l aslo know that running gave me tendinitis in my ankles & knees, but that condition seems not to put people off jogging, even though it can be crippling in cold weather...

This reads like just more bad science to me...