Active Men May Have Stronger Bones

Broken bones may be often associated with sporting injuries, but a new study shows that playing sports actually reduces the risk of broken bones over the long haul.

Swedish researchers followed a group of middle-aged men for 35 years and found those who were most active throughout their lives were least likely to suffer broken hips or other broken bones.

For example, men who lived a sedentary lifestyle were 2 1/2 times more likely to have a broken hip compared with men who exercised vigorously or participated in sports at least three hours a week.

The researchers note that previous studies have linked exercise to lower risk of hip fracture in women. But this research suggests that men's bones may also benefit from regular physical activity.

In the study, Karl Michaelsson, M.D., and colleagues at University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden, surveyed a group of more than 2,000 men aged 49-51 in the early 1970s about their exercise habits and how much of their leisure time was spent engaged in physical activity. They were asked the same questions again at age 60, 70, 77, and 82.

The men were divided into three categories, according to their physical activity level: