Musculoskeletal

Is consuming enough calcium and magnesium enough to keep bones strong or is there more to it?

Load, Don't Just Supplement: The Key to Strong Bones

Hey, Laura, this is a great question. Calcium. And magnesium are definitely important. Those are some of the fundamental building blocks of bone. So if you don't have enough of them, there will definitely be some consequences for bones for bone health. But there's definitely much more to it. And the biggest thing to consider is load your body and your bones respond to the load, and the forces that are placed upon. It, one of the best examples of this which speaks to Directly to your question is in astronauts when an astronaut spends a bunch of time, up in space at the space station. Their bone density drops really quickly because they don't have the forces of gravity on them to stimulate them to maintain their bone health. So when an astronaut comes back from the space station, almost always there suffering from some degree of osteoporosis and it takes time back on Earth being loaded. It Again, by the forces of gravity to rebuild their bone health back to normal levels. So we can learn from that and recognize that we need to be loading our body and loading our bones to maintain our bone density to maintain our muscle mass. So resistance training in particular, is one of the best ways to maintain your bone health, as we get older

Calcium and magnesium are important for bone health, but it's also important to load your body with the forces of gravity in order to maintain your bone health. Resistance training is one of the best ways to do this.

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Consuming enough calcium and magnesium is indeed important for maintaining strong bones. These minerals serve as fundamental building blocks for bone health. However, there is more to it than just calcium and magnesium.

The key factor to consider is the load placed on your body and bones. Your bones respond to the forces and load they experience. A prime example of this is seen in astronauts who spend extended periods in space. Without the forces of gravity stimulating their bones, their bone density decreases rapidly. When they return to Earth, they often suffer from osteoporosis and need time to rebuild their bone health through exposure to gravity and loading.

We can learn from this and understand the importance of loading our bodies and bones to maintain bone density and muscle mass. Resistance training, in particular, is highly effective in preserving bone health as we age. By engaging in resistance exercises, we provide the necessary load and stimulus for our bones to remain strong.

So while calcium and magnesium are important, it is crucial to also focus on loading our bodies through activities like resistance training to maintain optimal bone health.

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Colin Diment is a Certified Athletic Trainer with a wealth of experience in sports medicine and performance therapy. He works with prestigious organizations and elite athletes to optimize performance and prevent injuries. Currently, Colin serves as a Certified Athletic Trainer for the Los Angeles Lakers and USA Track & Field. He has also held positions at the University of Michigan and Mississippi State University. His expertise and commitment contribute to the athletes' success in achieving their goals. Colin's passion for sports medicine and dedication to helping athletes reach their full potential have earned him a reputation as a skilled and reliable Certified Athletic Trainer.