Addicted to Cycling? Add High Impact Activities for Bone Health

A few years ago, an Outside magazine article about bone health caught my eye. The article begins with a story about a fit middle aged cycling enthusiast who had had borderline osteoporosis.

And then the warning:

If you maintain your fitness level solely through non-impact sports like cycling and swimming, you could be at risk for waking up at age 50 with the bones of a person 20 years older.

…bones can deteriorate when not subjected to the rigors of load-bearing activities such as running or lifting weights.

Besides the fluids and sodium we lose while hammering the pavement, pumping iron, or playing a pickup game, an additional 120 milligrams or so of calcium is sweated out during every hour spent exercising. And unless you replace that missing calcium with the right foods, it ain’t coming back. So even those who go for high-impact sports like skiing and running can face a calcium deficit–and an increased potential for broken bones.

In subsequent conversations with other and older cyclists, I began to hear stories about cycling friends of friends who are having difficult battles with osteoporosis.

Outside offers a two-pronged approach to keeping your bones fit here.

Medical research supports the Outside article. Read: Impact Sports Increase Bone Strength In Senior Athletes