Relationship between Femur Mineral Content and Local Muscle Strength and Mass

Among the stimuli able to prevent early decreases in bone mineralization, exercise has a noticeable role per se as the source of mechanical stimulus or through lean tissue enlargement by its increasing of tensional stimulus. However, prevention strategies, including exercise, generally do not establish the moment in life when attention should begin to be paid to bone integrity, according to age group- and sex-related differences. Thus, this study analyzed the relationship between variables from the diagnosis of total and regional body composition, muscle strength, and bone mineral content (BMC) of femurs in young adult males. Thirty-four young Caucasian men (24.9 +/- 8.6 years) had their body composition and bone density assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry. The subjects performed a one-repetition maximum test (1-RM) in a bench press, front pulley, seated-row, push press, arm curl, triceps pulley, leg flexion, leg extension, and 45 degrees leg press for the assessment of muscle strength in upper and lower limbs in single- and multi-joint exercises. Lean tissue mass in the trunk and upper and lower limbs were related to femoral BMC (Pearson coefficient ranging from 0.55 to 0.72, p < 0.01), and 1-RM values for different exercises involving both upper and lower limbs also correlated with femoral BMC (Pearson coefficients ranging from 0.34 to 0.46, p < 0.05). Taken together, these correlations suggest that muscle mass and strength are positively linked with the magnitude of femoral mass in men, even in early adulthood. Hence, the importance of an enhanced muscle mass and strength to the health of femoral bones in young adults was highlighted.