Many of you have probably heard stength training can help prevent osteoporosis, but through what exact mechanism? The late German Anatomist and Surgeon Julius Wolff provides some insight...
Courtesy of Wikipedia-
“Wolff's law is a theory developed by the German Anatomist/Surgeon Julius Wolff (1836-1902) in the 19th century that states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The external cortical portion of the bone becomes thicker as a result. The converse is true as well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become weaker due to turnover as it is less metabolically costly to maintain and there is no stimulus for continued remodeling that is required to maintain bone mass.”
Bottom Line: place challenging loads and demands on your body as you age. Doing so will not only prevent loss of muscle tissue (and the decrease in resting metabolism that comes with it), but also-as Julius Wolff explains above-loss of bone, decreasing your risk of osteoporosis. 2-4 sessions of strength training each week, along with some weight bearing cardiovascular exercise or recreational sports will continue to present signinficant demands on your body, which is a good thing.
Sitting at a desk all day and then sitting around watching 4 hours of reality TV at night does not present significant demands to either your muscles or bones. However, this is exactly what most people do. Repeating this pattern day in and day out through your 30's, 40's and 50's is a surefire way to end up a weak, fat and frail mess once you reach retirement age.
Courtesy of Wikipedia-
“Wolff's law is a theory developed by the German Anatomist/Surgeon Julius Wolff (1836-1902) in the 19th century that states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The external cortical portion of the bone becomes thicker as a result. The converse is true as well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become weaker due to turnover as it is less metabolically costly to maintain and there is no stimulus for continued remodeling that is required to maintain bone mass.”
Bottom Line: place challenging loads and demands on your body as you age. Doing so will not only prevent loss of muscle tissue (and the decrease in resting metabolism that comes with it), but also-as Julius Wolff explains above-loss of bone, decreasing your risk of osteoporosis. 2-4 sessions of strength training each week, along with some weight bearing cardiovascular exercise or recreational sports will continue to present signinficant demands on your body, which is a good thing.
Sitting at a desk all day and then sitting around watching 4 hours of reality TV at night does not present significant demands to either your muscles or bones. However, this is exactly what most people do. Repeating this pattern day in and day out through your 30's, 40's and 50's is a surefire way to end up a weak, fat and frail mess once you reach retirement age.
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