Females who participate in competitive sport during adolescence have better fitness at midlife than do females with no competitive sport background in adolescence, reveals a study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä. Higher lean mass and bone density and better physical performance at midlife were associated with competitive sport participation at the age of 13 to 16 years. The study also found that bone density was lower if the woman has had her first period at age 14 years or older.
The findings emphasize the link between adolescent competitive sport participation, and body composition, bone health and physical performance later in life.
“It seems that a later age for a female’s first period is associated with lower bone density regardless of competitive sport participation in adolescence,” Ravi says. “It is known that some female athletes have their first period well above the average menarcheal age, so it is important to pay attention to girls whose menarche is delayed. Nowadays it is thought that menarche is belated if periods have not occurred by the age of 15 years.”
This study was part of the Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä and Gerontology Research Center and led by Academy Research Fellow Eija Laakkonen. Nearly 1,100 (n = 1098) women between the ages of 47 and 55 participated in this part of the ERMA project where the associations between adolescence physical activity, age at menarche and midlife characteristics were investigated.
Source:
University of Jyväskylä
Journal reference:
Ravi, S., et al. (2020) Adolescent Sport Participation and Age at Menarche in Relation to Midlife Body Composition, Bone Mineral Density, Fitness, and Physical Activity. Journal of Clinical Medicine. doi.org/10.3390/jcm9123797.