Specific Sites of Bone Expansion Depend to the Level of Volleyball Practice in Prepubescent Boys

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 18 months of high and low levels of volleyball practice on bone acquisition. 130 prepubescent boys (mean age 11.4 ± 0.7) were divided into a high-level training group (HLG), low-level training group (LLG), and controls. Bone mineral content (BMC) and bone area at the whole body, lumbar spine L2-L4, femoral neck of the dominant leg, and right and left radius were measured using dual-photon X-ray absorptiometry. Enhanced BMC resulted from high-training volleyball activity in all measured sites except the third left and right distal radius, which is not modified by low-level training in prepubescent players but it was accompanied by a bone area expansion in radius and weight-bearing sites for the HLG, and in legs, whole right and left radius for the LLG. Significant improvement of skeletal tissues is associated with the intensity and duration of volleyball training.

Volleyball and Basketball Enhanced Bone Mass in Prepubescent Boys

“…These effects were more marked in femoral neck BMC and were better observed in SJ and CMJ in VB than BB. These findings are in accordance with results of previous studies, which indicate that bone mass was positively related to physical activity in prepubertal period (19,20) and was dependent on ground forces reactions on bony attachments produced by exercise types (8,9).…”

“…These findings are similar to those described in other studies performed in prepubescent VB and BB who clearly have an enhancement of BA at most of weightbearing and nonweight-bearing bones (19,20). Dias Quiterio et al (9) found that participation in high-impact sports such as basketball, handball, or gymnastics during adolescence was associated with greater bone benefits, particularly on BA in total body, lumbar spine, and both upper and lower limbs than controls.…”

“…However, few studies focused on volleyball and basketball osteogenic effects in children. Cross-sectional analysis reports that previous volleyball and basketball training enhanced BMC and BA in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing bones in prepubescent athletes than controls (19,20). In our study, findings report higher BMC at whole body, weight-bearing (lower limbs, trochanter, and total hip), and nonweight-bearing bones (upper limbs, right third-distal radius and right and left whole radius) in VB and BB than in controls.…”

“…In our study, findings report higher BMC at whole body, weight-bearing (lower limbs, trochanter, and total hip), and nonweight-bearing bones (upper limbs, right third-distal radius and right and left whole radius) in VB and BB than in controls. These results are in accordance with previous studies showing increases in weight-bearing bones BMC associated with prepubertal stages (19,20,27) and in contrast with others which reported a similar BMC (28) and BMD (29) at baseline in all measured sites in prepubescent soccer players and controls. In addition, our VB exhibited greater BMC in both right and left UD radius than controls, while the BB have a similar right and left UD radius BMC to controls.…”

“…To our knowledge, few studies have investigated the effect of volleyball and basketball training on the growing skeleton in boys. In highly trained prepubescent VB, Chaari et al (18,19) have shown enhanced bone formation markers and BMC in whole body, lumbar spine, total hip, and radius, accompanied by a BA expansion in radius and weight-bearing sites in comparison with controls. In prepubescent BB, Zribi et al (20) have shown a greater BMC and BA in whole body, upper and lower limbs, total hip, and whole radius than controls.…”