The Relationship between Aerobic Capacity and Bone Health in Young Women

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(1): 56-63, 2016. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and bone health in young women. Eighty-three participants (age=21.0±2.2 years; BMI=22.4±3.0 kg/m2) reported for testing on two occasions separated by 48 hours. During visit 1 body composition assessment via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and during visit 2, a VO2max test performed on a motorized treadmill. Weak correlations were found between absolute VO2max (L/min) and whole-body bone mineral density (WB-BMD: r=0.24, p=0.031) and whole-body bone mineral content (WB-BMC: r=0.37, p<0.001). No relation between variables were observed when VO2max was expressed relative to body mass (mL/kg/min). Moderate correlations were observed between bone variables and body mass (WB-BMD: r=0.36, p<0.001; WB-BMC: r=0.62, p<0.001), fat-free mass (WB-BMD: r=0.45, p<0.001; WB-BMC: r=0.54, p<0.001), and fat mass (WB-BMD: r=0.31, p=0.004; WB-BMC: r=0.60, p<0.001). Body mass, regardless of composition, was a stronger predictor of bone health than aerobic capacity in this sample of young women.