While maintaining a steady exercise regimen is one of the best things people can do for their general good health, recent studies suggest a surprising correlation between bicycling and low bone density, even among the young and fit.

“Bicycling is a wonderful low-impact cardiovascular exercise that puts little mechanical load on the bones and joints,” explains Dr. Warren P. Levy, President, and CEO of biopharmaceutical company Unigene Laboratories. “When it comes to the risk of thinning bones, however, it’s the weight-bearing nature of exercise that signals bones to create more mass. Without such stress, bones do not get stronger, and become more prone to injury.”

A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that competitive male road cyclists showed significantly lower bone mineral density in their spines than a control group of men who were moderately physically active. A similar study in Bone illustrated that male road cyclists had lower bone mineral density than male mountain bikers. (Suggesting that mountain biking, with its variable terrain, provides more impact for bone growth than racing or road cycling.) Swimmers may also be at risk, because that sport requires similarly little mechanical loading, leaving the lower spine particularly vulnerable.

Caloric intake is another challenge facing cyclists and swimmers in relation to bone density. Cycling and swimming are notorious for burning up calories (witness Michael Phelps’s notorious 12,000 calorie diet), however, hard-core cyclists may not be eating enough to offset what they burn when they exercise, depriving their bodies of bone-strengthening nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. These caloric shortfalls could also trigger physiological problems such as lower levels of estrogen in women and testosterone in men, both hormones that have protective effects on bones and slow the rate of bone breakdown.

“Osteoporosis is generally considered a disease that afflicts women and the elderly,” says Dr. Levy. “People do not achieve peak bone mass until their late twenties, however, so in order to maintain healthy bones, avid cyclists and swimmers should be mindful of incorporating cross-training weight-bearing exercise into their routines.”

Unigene Laboratories seeks to provide osteoporosis sufferers, male and female alike, with a natural, effective treatment. The active ingredient in Unigene’s peptide-based nasally delivered osteoporosis treatment is salmon calcitonin, available today in a prescription drug called Fortical. For more information visit www.IRGnews.com/coi/UGNE