Seasonal bone mass of college and senior female field hockey players

• Published in: Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness 2005-09, Vol.45 (3), p.347-354
• Main Authors: BECK, B. R, DOECKE, J. D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Body Composition - physiology; Body Fat Distribution; Body Weight; Bone Density; Bones; Case-Control Studies; College sports; Comparative studies; Female; Females; Field hockey; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hockey - physiology; Humans; Individual Characteristics; Muscles - physiology; Osteoporosis - prevention & control; Physical Activities; Physical Characteristics; Physical Education; Scientific Concepts; Seasons; Secondary Schools; Students; Team Sports; Time Factors; Universities; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Weight-Bearing - physiology
• ISSN: 0022-4707; 1827-1928

The purpose of the study was to observe the relationship of field hockey playing with bone, muscle and fat in young and older adult women. We measured body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in college players, senior players and controls after a 4-month playing-season and 8-month off-season. Whole body (WB), proximal femur (PF), lumbar spine (LS), right and left forearm (RF, LF) bone mineral density (BMD), percent fat and lean mass of college players (20.6+/-1.1 years; 7.7+/-1 playing years) were compared with those of non-playing controls (19.5+/-1.5 years). BMD of senior players (37.3+/-10.3 years; 19.7+/-9.3 playing years) was compared to normative values. The differences between right and left forearm BMDs during the on and off seasons were also compared. College player BMD was higher than controls at the WB (p=0.02), PF (p=0.00004), RF (p=0.006) and LF (p=0.005), but not the LS. Senior player BMD was higher than age-matched norms at the WB (p=0.001) and PF (p=0.006), but not the LS, RF or LF. There were no differences between on and off-season BMDs for either group. There were no differences between college player RF and LF BMD in either season, nor in the senior players during the off-season, however, during the season, senior players developed greater RF than LF BMD (p=0.02). College players had greater lean mass (p=0.00008) and lower fat mass than controls (p=0.003). Neither changed significantly between seasons. Senior players lost fat (p=0.04) and gained lean mass (p=0.02) in season. Adult female field hockey players have higher than average bone mass that does not change significantly according to seasonal involvement.