Former Olympians had remained on high bone mineral density for a long period: Consecutive checkup of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Japanese contestants for over 50 years

Introduction

We performed consecutive checkups of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic contestants every 4 years for 50 years. This study evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) and its related factors in former Tokyo Olympic athletes.

Objectives

The study population comprised 181 former Olympians (141 men and 40 women) who had undergone BMD measurement in at least one of the four checkups performed every 4 years since 2005. The mean age of the 104 subjects who participated in the last checkup in 2016 was 76.1 years for men and 74.0 years for women.

Methods

Health-related information regarding medical history, regular physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking was obtained using questionnaires. The areal BMD of the total body was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The relationship between BMD and anthropometric measurements, medical history, and health behaviors was examined. Furthermore, we assessed the influence of the mode and magnitude of weight-bearing and impact loading during athletic events during their active careers on BMD.

Results

The mean Z-scores of BMD of the total body, lumbar spine, pelvis, and upper and lower limbs were > 0 in both male and female subjects at each checkup. The subjects had a higher mean height and weight than the Japanese age- and sex-matched individuals. Furthermore, the subjects had higher grip strength than the age- and sex-matched individuals. BMD showed a positive correlation with body weight, lean body mass (LBM), muscle mass, and grip strength, with higher correlation coefficients found between BMD of the pelvis or lower limbs and LBM or muscle mass volume. When the association with current participation in sports activities was examined, male subjects who exercised weekly had significantly higher grip strength and greater muscle mass volume; however, no significant differences were observed among female subjects. After adjusting for age and LMB, BMD was significantly higher in both the lumbar spine and lower limbs of male subjects with relatively more impact loading in sports events during their active careers.

Conclusion

The Tokyo Olympic contestants maintained a high muscle mass even at an older age, regardless of their medical history, which may be one of the reasons for their ability to maintain a high BMD.