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Background: Exercise optimizes peak bone mass accrual, particularly if the loading is high magnitude and distributed in abnormal directions. Little is known about the influence of early intense training in sport during peak bone mass accrual, especially in boys. Methods: Ninety-eight males aged 6–24 years (gymnasts, swimmers, and controls) completed the bone-specific physical activity questionnaire and a 7-day exercise diary. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry determined bone mineral properties of the total body (less head) and lumbar spine (LS, L1–L4) and total lean mass. Subgroup analyses were conducted for juniors (prepubescent), adolescents (11–16 y), and seniors (17–24 y). Results: Lean mass was positively associated with total body less head and LS bone outcomes in all 3 age groups (R2 =.632–.770, P <.05), and bone-specific physical activity questionnaire scores were associated with LS bone mineral density in adolescents and seniors (R2 =.440 and.591, P <.05). Senior gymnasts had significantly higher LS bone mineral density (in grams per square centimeter) and Z-scores than swimmers (P =.004) and controls (P =.012). Conclusions: Elite gymnastics is associated with superior peak bone mass accrual in young males. The benefits appear more pronounced during young adulthood compared with prepuberty, potentially reflecting an extended time course for bone adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), a gray-level textural assessment derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry images, serves as a validated index of trabecular bone microarchitecture. Over the past decade, significant evidence has highlighted the usefulness of TBS in primary and secondary osteoporosis, leading to its integration with the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) and bone mineral density (BMD) T-score adjustments. This review explores the role of TBS in fracture prediction, treatment initiation, and monitoring. Studies confirm that TBS enhances fracture risk prediction in both primary and secondary osteoporosis when combined with BMD and clinical risk factors. Evidence also suggests that including TBS alongside BMD and FRAX offers significant potential for treatment stratification, considering the overall skeletal profile, such as bone mass, bone quality, and clinical risk factors. Consequently, TBS has become a standard part of clinical care worldwide. Future enhancements hope to adjust for soft tissue thickness, broadening the applicability of TBS across diverse body types and pediatric populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health and well-being of retired rugby union and league players, particularly regarding the long-term effects of concussions, are of major concern. Concussion has been identified as a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), in athletes engaged in contact sports. This study aimed to assess differences in specific biomarkers between UK-based retired rugby players with a history of concussion and a non-contact sports group, focusing on biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's, ALS, and CTE. We randomly selected a sample of male retired rugby or non-contact sport athletes (n = 56). The mean age was 41.84 ± 6.44, and the mean years since retirement from the sport was 7.76 ± 6.69 for participants with a history of substantial concussions (>5 concussions in their career) (n = 30). The mean age was 45.75 ± 11.52, and the mean years since retirement was 6.75 ± 4.64 for the healthy controls (n = 26). Serum biomarkers (t-tau, RBP-4, SAA, Nf-L, and retinol), plasma cytokines, and biomarkers associated with serum-derived exosomes (Aβ42, p-tau181, p-tau217, and p-tau231) were analyzed using validated commercial ELISA assays. The results of the selected biomarkers were compared between the two groups. Biomarkers including t-tau and p-tau181 were significantly elevated in the history of the substantial concussion group compared to the non-contact sports group (t-tau: p < 0.01; p-tau181: p < 0.05). Although between-group differences in p-tau217, p-tau231, SAA, Nf-L, retinol, and Aβ42 were not significantly different, there was a trend for higher levels of Aβ42, p-tau217, and p-tau231 in the concussed group. Interestingly, the serum-derived exosome sizes were significantly larger (p < 0.01), and serum RBP-4 levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in the highly concussed group. These findings indicate that retired athletes with a history of multiple concussions during their careers have altered serum measurements of exosome size, t-tau, p-tau181, and RBP-4. These biomarkers should be explored further for the prediction of future neurodegenerative outcomes, including ALS, in those with a history of concussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athletic populations require high-precision body composition assessments to identify true change. Least significant change determines technical error via same-day consecutive tests but does not integrate biological variation, which is more relevant for longitudinal monitoring. The aim of this study was to assess biological variation using least significant change measures from body composition methods used on athletes, including surface anthropometry (SA), air displacement plethysmography (BOD POD), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS). Thirty-two athletic males (age = 31 ± 7 years; stature = 183 ± 7 cm; mass = 92 ± 10 kg) underwent three testing sessions over 2 days using four methods. Least significant change values were calculated from differences in Day 1 Test 1 versus Day 1 Test 2 (same-day precision), as well as Day 1 Test 1 versus Day 2 (consecutive-day precision). There was high agreement between same-day and consecutive-day fat mass and fat-free mass measurements for all methods. Consecutive-day precision error in comparison with the same-day precision error was 50% higher for fat mass estimates from BIS (3,607 vs. 2,331 g), 25% higher from BOD POD (1,943 vs. 1,448 g) and DXA (1,615 vs. 1,204 g), but negligible from SA (442 vs. 586 g). Consecutive-day precision error for fat-free mass was 50% higher from BIS (3,966 vs. 2,276 g) and SA (1,159 vs. 568 g) and 25% higher from BOD POD (1,894 vs. 1,450 g) and DXA (1,967 vs. 1,461 g) than the same-day precision error. Precision error in consecutive-day analysis considers both technical error and biological variation, enhancing the identification of small, yet significant changes in body composition of resistance-trained male athletes. Given that change in physique is likely to be small in this population, the use of DXA, BOD POD, or SA is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]