The purpose of this study was to verify if the practice of volleyball during youth and later in life could affect the bone mass of postmenopausal women. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in the lumbar spine (L1, L2, L3, L4, and L2-L4) and proximal femur (neck, trochanteric, total femur, and Ward's triangle) of two groups of healthy, Brazilian Caucasian women. One group (n = 21) consisted of veteran athletes who played competitive volleyball during their second decade of life and kept playing for at least the last 12 months. The control group (n = 21) consisted of women who had never been athletes. The groups were similar in age, Body Mass Index (BMI), duration of menopause, and hormonal replacement therapy. As shown in the table, the athletes presented a higher BMD when compared to the control group independently of the region studied. Such results indicate that the practice of volleyball helped to maintain the bone mass in postmenopausal women, including in the regions more susceptible to fractures.
Osteoporosis; Sports; Volleyball; Bone mineral density
