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How to balance...?
 

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

2/13/19 12:22 PM

How to balance...?

By now, it's more or less established cycling, as a non-weight-bearing activity, doesn't help in maintaining bone density. Further, the leaching of mineral through sweating might even exacerbate the bone lose. God forbid if we crash off our bike! The more resilient our bones, the better chance we can get up and ride away...

Basketball, skiing, backpacking, or even the boring weight lifting in a gym, would help maintain or even re-build bones.

However, people who are overweight are also known to have joint issues due to the excess stress from the weight and extra impact. That's also correlated by athletes and others who engage in impact activities such as skiing, basketball etc. with earlier onset of joint issues.

So, all those "weight bearing" activities are no less stressful to the joints than being overweight! I often see some of those quit their respected impact producing, joint destroying activities and sought relief by cycling!


How then, do you balance, to have both healthy joints and healthy bones?

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stan
Joined: 14 Feb 2004
Posts: 467

2/13/19 12:43 PM

Difference is being in shape

Lots of heavier people in shape don’t suffer joint issues. That’s because having strong connective tissues keeps things in proper alignment. Overweight people suffering issues are largely due to everything being weak.

It’s tough to find and keep a good balance between aerobic and strength. I went one way for years doing nothing but running (averaging 50 miles weekly for 20 years) and cycling. Now I’m trying to do better at the other end with weights in the gym, swimming, and walking.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

2/13/19 1:57 PM

To your 1st paragraph, unloaded et al:

Guess where your muscles and connective tissues will take calcium it want/needs. From a place close by which your physiology deems unneeded stores are ready and waiting. ;)

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

2/13/19 5:42 PM


quote:
It’s tough to find and keep a good balance between aerobic and strength. I went one way for years doing nothing but running (averaging 50 miles weekly for 20 years) and cycling. Now I’m trying to do better at the other end with weights in the gym, swimming, and walking.

This being winter. Hence the question.

BTW, swimming isn't weight bearing either.

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Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

2/14/19 8:17 PM

I've been combining cycling, weight lifting, and yoga for almost 50 years (I'm about to turn 66). These days I cycle six days a week - in our climate we can cycle year-round - go to the gym twice a week for about 40 minutes of weights, and about 30-40 minutes of yoga every day. I've never had a bone density test, but I've had quite a number of crunching crashes on the bike over the years, the most recent being about four years ago, and have never broken any bones.

I also walk a few km every day taking our dog for walks, but that's such low impact and low intensity that I don't think it has a bearing one way or the other.

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

2/15/19 10:08 AM

Bearing


quote:
I also walk a few km every day taking our dog for walks, but that's such low impact and low intensity that I don't think it has a bearing one way or the other.


And yet that is more exercise than most people get in the developed world. Or at least in the good old US of A. Walking is a good weight bearing exercsie. My wife's bone density has increased since she shifted from mostly cycling to mostly walking. Good for her but I miss her on what used to be our daily rides.

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Paul Datars
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 1229
Location: Manotick, Ontario, Canada

2/15/19 3:25 PM

Nick said: "I've never had a bone density test"

You might be surprised if you got one, there's just no way of telling where you're at without testing. A number of avid local cyclists (much younger than me) have been tested and found to have low bone density.

Yes I've broken a few bones in my time but only ever when there was an associated high impact. I've also had situations where I thought I would have broken a bone and didn't.

I've been tested often over the past 15 years and have VERY low bone density which is getting worse, this in spite of 45 years of consistent weight lifting and long term supplementation of D, K2, MSM, calcium, etc. If it weren't for the testing I wouldn't have a clue that I have a problem. Well in a way it really isn't a problem because it has no effect on me what-so-ever. Thing is, it might in 10 or 20 years (I'm 60). So I am now for the first time considering going with a pharmaceutical product since all natural solutions don't seem to be helping.

My brother (11 months older) got tested, he has no density issue. While he is active and fit I don't think anything he does could possibly create the amount of sweat that 19,000 hrs of riding in the past 22 years did to me.

My wife Sally also HAD low bone density, what seemed to solve her issue was a few years of K2-MK7 supplementation that was added to the calcium, D, and MSM she was already doing. I added K2 at the same time she did a few years ago and was very disappointed recently to see it didn't provide me with a similar result.

Cheers, Paul.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

2/15/19 5:23 PM

Good to hear from you Paul

I have low bone density too. In addition to cycling, I played competitive basketball for years, where you sweat like a pig. Despite the “impact” I think I’ve read something suggesting an incidence in hoop players. I also have some metabolic issues, including hyperparathyroidism, thrown into the causation mix. I’ve had a parathyroid gland and adrenal gland removed, taken supplements, had a reklast infusion and will have another. I’ll get a reading soon on the effect of the reklast.

As readers of this forum know, I’ve busted a few bones recently, though in high impact events where I don’t think breakage was really surprising.

I haven’t done weights consistently, and haven’t played hoop or tennis in years. I have always walked tons, which obviously hasn’t overcome the other factors. Basically, I think everyone’s different. Brilliant, I know. :)

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Paul Datars
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 1229
Location: Manotick, Ontario, Canada

2/16/19 2:27 PM

Hey Dan, yeah I heard roughly 15 years ago about bone issues with guys in their early 20s who played a lot of basketball...the common factor seems to be doing something for extended periods of time where there's lots of sweating.

I think anyone who cycles a lot has a better than average probability of having low bone density, but there's absolutely no way of knowing for sure without testing it. Also I really don't think weights and other 'impact' sports are likely to mitigate the problem much less offset it. My wife's experience seems to indicate that natural supplementation can solve the issue, unfortunately my experience hasn't been the same.

I haven't been around here much for a few years, not sure why, I still ride as much (actually more) than ever but I also have a couple other hobbies which take up so much time that I seem to have less 'spare' time than I did when I worked. Go figure, but life sure is good to me.

Cheers, Paul.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

2/20/19 11:16 AM


quote:
I really don't think weights and other 'impact' sports are likely to mitigate the problem much less offset it.

I think this subject, like many other health related subjects, aren't fully understood yet.

Even available data are either incomplete or well controlled. So there's a fair amount of guess work going on. That's largely what I'm trying to do, somewhat informed guesses!

We're the "pioneer" of living AND BEING ACTIVE at "advanced age". There's no avoiding a lot of stumble and fumbles on that new territory.

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