Research published today at the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) Conference in Edinburgh – the leading conference on osteoporosis in the UK - has revealed a link between physical activity in young children and strong bones.

The study which was carried out by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Resource Centre (University of Southampton), and MRC Epidemiology Unit (University of Cambridge) compared the average amount of physical activity of children with the strength of their bones and found that those who were more physically active had stronger skeletons.

The research involved 200 four year olds, who had been born to women participating in the Southampton Women’s Survey. These women were studied before and during pregnancy and their children followed through childhood.

At four years old, the children had a measurement of bone density at Southampton General Hospital and were fitted with a special “Actiheart” device, around the size of a fifty pence piece, which was attached to the chest with ECG stickers. This device recorded physical activity and heart rate and was worn for up to seven days.

Professor Cyrus Cooper, Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre who led the research said:

“Physical activity has declined in children over the last decade, and research from the unit in Southampton has demonstrated that poor early skeletal growth might predispose to osteoporosis in later life. We therefore decided to carry out this research in order to investigate whether the trend towards reduced physical activity was likely to affect bone growth.”

Dr Nick Harvey, a Clinical Lecturer at MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, who managed the project and is presenting the work at the NOS meeting, added:

“This study suggests that increasing physical activity may help to build strong bones in childhood. It is likely that the better your bones are when you are young, the better they will be when you are elderly, and so more physical activity as a child could potentially protect your bones in old age. With the SWS, we are in the privileged position of being able to follow these children up, currently at 6 and then 8 years, to see whether increased physical activity at age 4 years is still associated with stronger bones in later childhood.”