Jogging and bone mineral density in men: Results from NHANES III

Objectives, This cross-sectional population-based study assessed the associ ation of jogging with femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in men. Methods, Data are from a nationally representative sample of 4254 men aged 20 to 59 years from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Sur vey (NHANES IH). Total femoral BMD was measured by dual energy x-ray absorp tiometry. Jogging was self-reported, Results. Jogging (any vs none) was strongly associated with higher BMD in m ultivariate models (P < .01) for both young and middle-aged men. Men who jo gged 9 or more times per month had higher BMD levels than those who jogged only 1 to 8 times per month (P = .01). Conclusions. Jogging is associated with higher femoral neck BMD in men. Add itional large-scale studies that measure all aspects of jogging are warrant ed.