High Protein Supplementation Facilitates Weight Training Induced Bone Mineralization In Baseball Players
Kuo, Chia-Hua Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: July 2020 - Volume 52 - Issue 7S - p 104
PURPOSE: To determine whether weight training combined with high protein intake enhances total and regional bone mineral density (BMD) in athletes.
METHODS: BMD of 27 Division-1 collegiate baseball players aged 18-22 y (N=13, 2 dropouts), received either 14% protein or isocaloric 44% protein supplements, were assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) before and following a 12-week weight training (challenging upper and lower body).
RESULTS: Baseline data show unequivocally greater humerus BMD in the dominant arm than their contralateral non-dominant arm (~ 20 %) among all baseball players. Humerus BMD of non-dominant arm was enhanced by 2.7 % after weight training for both low and high protein groups (main effect, P = 0.008), concurrent with an unexpected, small decrease in total body BMD (main effect, P = 0.014). Humerus BMD of dominant arm with greater baseline value than non-dominant arm was not increased unless high protein was supplemented (+2.7 %) (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Bones with relatively higher BMD show inert adaptation against training, which can be delimited by high protein supplementation. Total BMD of athletes cannot be further elevated by weight training.