Updated

A new study from Semmelweis University found that vigorous sports with sudden bursts, quick direction changes and sharp turns may stimulate bone formation more than walking, jogging or conventional weight training. The researchers reviewed 24 clinical studies involving 1,238 healthy adults and examined blood markers of new bone tissue production rather than bone mineral density, which can take longer to show changes. Recreational football and handball stood out, linked to increases of up to 45 to 46 percent in those markers. Walking, step aerobics and standard gym resistance workouts produced smaller responses, and resistance training showed no significant effect on bone metabolism markers, which the first author called the most surprising finding, given that several professional guidelines recommend it. The study was published in Sports Medicine - Open. The researchers stressed that walking and jogging should not be abandoned, since they still offer health benefits, and that people with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal or metabolic conditions, or osteoporosis, should consult a physician before starting strenuous exercise. The team said the work points to how exercise might be used to support bone health with age, though it measured markers rather than direct changes in bone density.