I received a request to talk about Bone Density, and Cyclists increased risk for Osteoporosis, and breaking bones. This individual had read Monique Ryan's Article in this months Velo News (their going to a monthly format instead of bi-weekly still makes me cry), "Bad to the Bone?" Volume 38/ No. 14, Nov. 2009 pgs 112-114.
I have previously written about this subject, so I chose to re-print the post. This post reiterates the importance of participating in more than just cycling, thus touching upon yesterdays post of the importance of the Transition period.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of direct repeated impact force on the bones, Calcium is NOT retained, or used to build up bones as much as running or resistance training. However, part of this is due to the skeleton's adapting to the demands placed on it (you do want to go faster, don’t you?). Runners have higher lower-body bone density, due to the repeated stress placed on it during running, while cyclists tend to have less bone density, but the bones are thought to adapt to be stronger, but with less density (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands), as I just S.A.I.D. (awful pun intended).
Now aside from making sure that you are attaining enough calcium through diet (primarily) and Supplementation (secondary/backup), one also needs to ensure they are taking in enough calcium that has BIO AVAILABILITY. Very, Very, Very important. Although a standard glass of milk has "30%" of a "regular" Americans daily calcium recommendation, there are 2 problems:
1. Of that "30%" roughly only 40-50% of that is going to be actually taken up and used by the body. So now you are looking at actually having only taken in about 12.5-15% of your daily value.......
2. This leads us to our second part of the quandary: Chances are, you are not an "average, regular American", but rather, you are out, on your bike (or unhappily on the trainer or rollers), and sweating quite a bit, probably 3-5 days a week, for a total of more than 3 hours a week.
So what does this all mean?
You, as an active individual, need more calcium than the "average" American. How much more, is up for debate dependent upon how much calcium you lose via sweat, where you currently stand in comparison for healthy values amongst your peers, etc. etc. etc. bottom line, you can find that number somewhere....
So what about those calcium chews, or Metamucil with extra calcium, or other supplements?
While some of them have high bio availability, and can actually deliver most of, if not a large majority of what is promised on the label, you are missing out on some other key nutrients.
So what’s best for calcium?
Believe it or not, some leafy greens have higher calcium (both in daily values, AND in bio availability), AND they also offer a vast array of other nutrients and phytonutrients (fairly recently discovered micro chemicals/ nutrients that have been proven to help fight cancer and other nasty things you don't ever want).
Some of the best non-dairy Calcium foods out there: Kale, turnip greens, white beans, broccoli , spinach, and almonds.
Dairy products are not to be forgotten, as the also provide the very important nutrients of: phosphorus, Vitamin D, and also, an endurance athletes’ best friend,
Calories.
So how can you prepare the collard greens, kale or broccoli to help increase the availability of their calcium?
It can be as simple as using an Iron Skillet. Seriously. The iron is thought to help begin the break down process of the calcium in the greens, AND by using the iron skillet, you can increase, ever so little, the amount of iron in your diet. Again, no joke. Seriously.
For those of you who are big coffee drinkers, like me, you can do a few things to help keep calcium from leeching out of your bones:
“While moderate caffeine intake has little influence on bone health, studies of connections between caffeine and health have found that consuming caffeinated drinks can contribute to calcium loss through your digestive system. Research indicates that you lose the amount of calcium in about one teaspoon of milk for every cup of regular coffee you drink.
To counter caffeine’s calcium-reducing effect and even boost your calcium intake, increase the amount of low-fat milk in your coffee drinks:
• Enjoy coffee south-of-the-border style: Fill a fourth of your cup with coffee and the rest with warm low-fat milk (called Café Au Lait, you can order this at your local coffee shop)
• A 12-ounce café latte, mocha or cappuccino contains 250 or more milligrams of calcium. Remember that these drinks also contain a wide range of calories.
• Recycle coffee that has gotten cold into an iced latte with low-fat milk and ice.
• A coffee smoothie is a refreshing treat. Blend a banana, ¼ cup of espresso, ice, low-fat milk and ice cream
Keep moderation in mind when it comes to caffeine. For most healthy adults, “moderate” means 200 milligrams to 300 milligrams a day, or about two to three cups of coffee. “
-Compliments of the ADA website
*** A cup of coffee is 6 ounces***
So what’s the bottom line for those of us who enjoy being on 2 wheels?
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet, and include the rule of “3 different colors” for fruits and vegetables each day.
• Make sure to eat a variety of foods.
• Try to avoid “staple foods” foods that you eat daily, or very frequently, i.e. in college it tends to be pizza and beer.
• Try to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, you can usually pick these out at the grocery store, as they will tend to carry more of those fruits/ veggies at a cheaper price. Or you can go to your local farmers market, as they will only carry in-season produce.
• Don’t be afraid to try new fruits or vegetables, you never know what will please your taste buds
• Try to incorporate weight training, jogging/walking or resistance training into your routine.
• Include low-fat dairy products into your diet, in appropriate quantities
• Ask your doctor about a daily multi-vitamin
• Avoid Soft-drinks, as they contain phosphoric Acid, which has been shown to leech calcium from bones
• Look for new recipes to put a new spin on some of your favorite foods
If you feel that you may already have bone-health issues, or are concerned about your bone health, talk to your physician, or you can make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian/ Licensed Dietitian.
You can search for a local RD/LD at the following link: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_fanp_consumer_ENU_HTML.htm
For more information about the American Dietitian Association, or to search for more information on this, or other food/ nutrition related topics, visit www.eatright.org
Train Smarter! Eat Better!
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