A COMPARISON OF BONE-MINERAL DENSITIES AMONG FEMALE ATHLETES IN IMPACT LOADING AND ACTIVE LOADING SPORTS

The purpose of this study was to compare bone mineral densities (BMD) of collegiate female athletes who compete in impact loading sports; vo lleyball players (N = 8) and gymnasts (N = 13), to a group of athletes who participate in an active loading sport; swimmers (N = 7), and a g roup of controls (N = 17). All of the volleyball, swimming, and contro l subjects were eumenorrheic (4-8 cycles/year), whereas two of the gym nasts were amenorrheic (0-3 cycles/year), eight were oligomenorrheic ( 4-8 cycles/year), and three were eumenorrheic (10-12 cycles/year). Lum bar spine, proximal femur, and total body BMD were measured with dual- energy X-ray absorptiometry. The groups were compared with respect to the following regions: lumbar spine (L1-4); femoral neck; Ward's trian gle; right and left arms; right and left legs; pelvis; and torso. When controlling for differences in height and weight the impact loading g roup (volleyball and gymnastic) had significantly greater BMD at the l umbar spine, femoral neck, Ward's Triangle, and total body when compar ed to the active loading (swimming) and control groups. The regional a nalysis from the total body scan revealed that the gymnasts had signif icantly (p < 0.05) greater BMD than all other groups at the right and left arm sites. The impact loading groups (gymnastic and volleyball) h ad a greater BMD in the legs and pelvis than the active loading (swimm ing) and control groups. Furthermore, the impact loading group had a g reater torso BMD than the control group. There were no differences at ally site between the active loading group (swimming) and control grou ps. Athletes who participated in impact loading sports (volleyball and gymnastics) had higher BMD than athletes in active loading sports (sw imming). This difference appeared to be site specific. Furthermore, th e prevalence of oligo/amenorrhea in the gymnastic group did not appear to negatively influence BMD.