Calcium Affects Athletes

Building denser bones is extremely important for the elderly and especially elderly women. Osteoporosis is the gradual thinning of bone mass and bone density (“Osteoporosis”). Osteoporosis is a very common disease amongst women and it is estimated that approximately 1 out of 5 women in the United States of America over the age of 50 years have Osteoporosis (“Osteoporosis”). At least half of all women over 50 will fracture a major bone such as a hip, spine, arm, or wrist (“Osteoperosis”). Osteoporosis is a very painful, debilitating, and even fatal disease that can be prevented through good diet and most importantly physical activity such as weightlifting. Studies have shown that the risk of Osteoporosis is lower for people who are more active and especially for those who participate in activities such as weightlifting (“Bone Builders”). The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research conducted a study measuring the bone density of athletes and all of the athletes on average had 13% higher bone density than non-athletes; the highest being in athletes who

When ingested, complex carbohydrates are broken down within the stomach and absorbed by muscles. The amount of glycogen stored by a muscle is directly correlated to the amount of work an athlete can do during a training session3. Glycogen is oxidized by muscles when used3. Once the glycogen stores within the muscle are depleted, fatigue sets in and hinders the athlete’s ability to perform. Therefore, supplements have been made to provide athletes with carbohydrates that can replenish the glycogen stores, which allows them to perform past their usual capacity and avoid the effects of fatigue. Fats play an important role in maintaining the health of joints and major organs, which is why fats are part of a balanced diet and cannot be neglected. Omega-3 fatty acids protect a person’s muscles, joints, immune system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system.1 An athlete’s training is extremely intense and can damage the joints and muscles over a long period of time, thus, it is important that athletes consume large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids relative to the average person so that they keep their muscles and joints in peak condition. Of the three macronutrients listed, protein is the most important macronutrient as a high protein intake preserves muscle and augments the formation of more muscle, which is a sought-after goal for many athletes.1 Repairing and building more muscle requires a source of protein and amino acids to synthesize

The evidence I will provide is strictly scientific, the information comes from the Journal of Sports Nutrition. The article is written by Richard B. Kreider, Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory Department of Human Movement Sciences and Education The University of Memphis. The author has many credentials, such as his testing of finding the effects of six weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation in male and female track athletes, which can be found in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. All of his research is peer reviewed.

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the bones become brittle from the loss of tissue, generally as a result of specific changes. Risk factors that take part in the disease are things such as unchangeable risks like sex, age, race, family history and the size of the individual. Other risk factors include hormone levels and medication as well as dietary factors and life choices. Life choices that play a role are sedentary lifestyle these are people who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do their more-active counterparts, weight-bearing exercise is beneficial for your bones to ensure the bone remolding cycle ensures them to grow strong (MayoClinic, 2013). Common symptoms that one should take into

The criteria for articles chosen was that each piece of research needed to involved the intake of CR, and being physically or athletically tested pre and post ingestion of CR with no other supplementation, steroid, or health related drugs involved. All research articles were double blind with placebo groups to prevent the effects of bias and placebo effects. All research was done within the previous 16 years and a balance of gender was aimed for in order to be unbiased but resources were mainly male orientated. Time period was not contained as a variety of short and long term supplementation is good to compare the different effects of sports performance over different durations of supplementation. Age of subjects in experiment weren’t

One of the most widely used supplements by athletes is creatine. Creatine phosphate is an important energy source during brief, high-intensity activities and is important in rapid recovery (Creatine: MedlinePlus Supplements and Maughan, Depiesse, & Geyer, 2007). “There is substantial evidence to show that creatine supplementation can increase the amount of creatine and creatine phosphate in the muscles and can improve performance in strength and power events” (Maughan, Depiesse, & Geyer, 2007).

As osteoporosis occurs due to calcium deficiency, diet habit changes are crucial, allowing the body to recover and strengthen the bones. Bone strengthening nutrition often includes an increase intake of calcium and vitamin D (5).

Her UBW (six months ago) was 158 lbs. A DEXA (dual emission x-ray absorptiometry) scan of the lumbar spine is done to rule out osteoporosis/osteopenia, caused by nutrient mal-absorption of calcium resulting from lactose intolerances. The DEXA scan shows a t-score of -2.4 indicating proof of osteopenia (Osteopenia-Overview, n.d.). The patient’s medical history of lactose intolerance, physical composition, sex, age, menopausal status, and t-score of -2.4 verify the diagnoses of osteopenia. Medication treatment can include calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, bisphosphonates, calcitonin, teriparatide, denosumab, raloxifene, and hormone replacement therapy (rarely used) (Osteopenia-Overview, n.d.). To stop bone loss a yearly Reclast injection is administered, a recommendation of implementing daily low impact physical activity, and yearly bone density tests to monitor development of osteoporosis. The patient should continue taking all previous medications and

In this project this scientist will be testing which calcium supplement works best to increase density in a bone with osteoporosis. In order to perform this experiment, this scientist will first be deteriorating the bones in vinegar so they are much like a bone with osteoporosis. Then this scientist will be recalcifyng the bones by soaking them in water and calcium supplements. Finally comparing the density of each bone before and after the calcium supplements, this scientist will determine which calcium supplement worked best in increasing bone density.

“Most [women] reach their peak bone mass by their early 20s…and as [they] age, bone mass is lost faster than it's created” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). The more bone mass created during youth the less likely it is for osteoporosis to develop, so adequate nutrition is important. According to NIH (2014), “the daily recommendation for calcium from ages 9-18 is 1300mg and 1000mg/day thereafter. For vitamin d, it is 600IU/day after age 1” (NIH, 2014). Along with nutritional deficiencies, women who smoke, drink, and don’t exercise regularly are at higher risk for osteoporosis. Some non-behavioral risk factors include “having a family history of osteoporosis, being female, having a small frame, certain disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and anorexia nervosa; taking some medications for example glucocorticoids, gonadotropin releasing hormone, or antacids with aluminum, and menopause” (McGowan, 2012). Asian and white women are also more predisposed to having this

Got milk? Of course we see this advertisement everywhere. We learned that getting enough calcium is important to have a strong bones when we’re young and keeping them strong and healthy as we age. The food that we eat contributes to overall wellness of our bones. But too many people fall short to get the right amount of calcium we need everyday and this leads to bone loss or low bone density.

Osteoporosis is a secondary aging musculoskeletal disorder that increases bone degeneration and disruption of bone mineral development. A major challenge with treating osteoporosis lies in the difficulty of diagnosing it in the early stages, because no symptoms appear until an actual complication such as a bone fracture occurs. Thus, osteoporosis is known as a “silent disease” (Cosman, 2014). During the childhood years, bones normally grow in size and strength until the person’s peak bone mass has been reached at approximately 20 years old. Around 40 to 50 years old, men and women are affected by age related decline in bone mass (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, n.d.). Women above 40 years old and of Chinese or Caucasian ethnicity are of high risk for developing osteoporosis (Wilbiks lecture, 2014). Other risk contributions to the condition include old age, female gender, small body size, low calcium and vitamin D, decrease of estrogen, lack of exercise and genetics. A slender, thin-boned tall woman is at greater risk for osteoporosis compared to a woman with a proportional amount of fat, bone and height. To prevent the development osteoporosis, people who are at high risk should take preventative measures, and this guide suggests three methods that have been supported by various researchers: 1) Supplementing calcium into diet; 2) Changing lifestyle patterns; and 3) Quitting smoking. All these preventative measures have been shown to

Data gathered by the study shows that majority of the population (77%) have vitamin D deficiency and shows that vitamin D deficiency is correlated with muscle weakness, pain and increases the risk of fractures, especially in older adults. While studies focused on athletes and vitamin D are minimal, Ogan and Pritchett, assert that the same findings from the general population also applies to athletes and verbalized the possibility that vitamin D deficiency is also prevalent with athletes. Vitamin D deficiency is a relevant issues for athletes because of the perceived role of the vitamin with bone growth and regulation, protein synthesis, muscular recovery and with immunity. Ogan and Pritchett explains that the negative

Calcium is a healthy nutrient to protect bone health. Some of its properties also aid in the prevention of colon cancer, preventing premenstrual blues, prevents kidney stones, helps control blood pressure and is beneficial to teeth and gum health. When a person has a deficiency in calcium it can also lead to muscle spasms, joint pain, bone loss, a disruption in the body’s hormones, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and abnormal blood clotting.

The RDA’s “estimate various amounts of nutrients needed daily to avoid deficiency and maintain good nutrition in healthy people” (Dwyer 626). For example, to avoid iron deficiency, the recommended daily intake from the Institute of Medicine for a female, between the ages of 14-18, is minimum 15 mg and maximum 45 mg. There are symptoms when it comes to recognizing that your body may have a nutritional deficiency. Signs of iron, zinc and Vitamin B deficiencies is “cracks in the corner of your mouth” ( Dr. Mercola). One of the main nutritional deficiencies that affects most men and women is Magnesium deficiency. “ Magnesium is essential for heart health, muscles, kidneys and other organs” (Shaw). The risk of a cardio disease decreases when Magnesium intake increases in both men and women. Another nutritional deficiency with a high risk factor is Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiencies causes “congestive heart failure and peripheral arterial disease” according to a professor at John Hopkins Hospital. Health and Nutrition before, during and after cardio exercise is essential to the health of our heart and other organs and to our daily lives. Knowing what we eat and how it can affect our bodies over time is very helpful in the long run not only for our well-being, but for our heart