The Silent Threat: Why Men Must Also Focus on Preventing Osteoporosis
[Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 57 seconds.]
In almost any conversation about Go Long, I talk about how strength training and a good nutrition regimen can help stave off osteoporosis. If I happen to be talking to a man, they generally will refer to their mother or their wife. While it is true osteoporosis tends to strike women with more frequency, it can also happen to men.
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What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, making them more susceptible to fractures. It is a "silent disease" because bone loss occurs over time. This means you may not experience any symptoms until you have a fracture.
2 conditions which increase the risk of developing osteoporosis:
Osteopenia, which indicates low bone mineral density
Sarcopenia, which is a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength
These conditions are interrelated and exacerbated by each other. I wrote about it in a previous post.
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What causes osteoporosis?
Muscle contractions generate forces that stimulate bone growth and maintenance. You experience these contractions when doing resistance training such as lifting weights, pilates, yoga, plyometrics, isometrics, etc. When you have a loss of muscle mass and strength, it leads to bone loss and increased fracture risk.
Other risk factors for men related to osteoporosis include:
Lack of physical activity
Excessive alcohol consumption
Specific medications such as corticosteroids and protein pump inhibitors (i.e., taken for GERD or acid reflux type of conditions)
Age
Low testosterone levels
Type 1 or 2 diabetics
Family history
Calcium intake
Vitamin D deficiency
Smoking
What happens when you have osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis impacts multiple facets of your life including:
Physical wellness - you’re more susceptible to fractures, particularly in your hip, spine, wrist and arm. As you age, the recovery time is more challenging and longer in duration. Some fractures may not heal depending on the severity of your diagnosis.
Emotional wellness - a lack of confidence in your physical abilities may lead to anxiety and social withdrawal. If we learned anything during COVID is isolation is not a good thing for an extended period of time for mental health.
Financial wellness - fractures can lead to a loss of mobility and reliance on others for daily tasks. This could lead to an increased financial burden and less money for you to spend on things you hoped to do later in life.
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What factors are responsible for the increase in men getting osteoporosis?
Between increased obesity and decreased activity, men are not retaining muscle mass and bone the way they used to. An additional factor is the lower consumption of calcium and vitamin D through food, which are both critical to bone health.
With the above factors and a longer life span, these lead to an increased risk for osteoporosis, which includes the 2 precursor conditions mentioned above - osteopenia and sarcopenia.
While men don’t typically develop osteoporosis until much later than women (this is due to menopause), it can start developing in your early 50s. This means this is something you want to get ahead of now, and not when you are diagnosed later in life when you may have other complications going on.
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Osteoporosis is a preventable and progressive condition. The earlier you focus on getting in front of it, the more likely the risk can be managed via lifestyle modifications. This can slow bone loss, reduce fracture risk, and maintain bone health.
If you haven’t already, ask your primary care physician to measure your testosterone levels the next time you go in for a check-up.
When you proactively chat with your doctor, you are in a better position to receive a personalized path forward that suits your life today and the life you want to live going forward.
How you can actively prevent osteoporosis?
I have talked ad nauseum about resistance training. If you’re new to Go Long, you can check out this video (under a minute) and this post which will resonate with any golfer.
Resistance training is a physical activity involving lifting weights or other forms of resistance to build muscle strength and endurance.
It stimulates bone growth by increasing bone turnover, the process of breaking down and rebuilding bone tissue. As muscles contract against resistance, they pull on the bones, which signals the body to lay down new bone tissue to adapt to the increased stress. This process helps with bone density and reducing the risk of fractures..
Benefits of Resistance Training
Improved muscle strength and balance provide better support for bones, thereby reducing the risk of falls
Enhanced coordination makes it easier to perform everyday activities safely
Reduced inflammation, which helps stave of bone loss
What Kind of Resistance Training Can You Do?
Weight training
Bodyweight exercises
Resistance bands
How to Find the Right Program For You?
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Strong.
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Skiing and/or snowboarding over the holidays with your family
Golfing with your buddies
Being able to travel without your back and knees hating you
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Go Long finds the right program for you and provides the support you need to stay on track.
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