First, before talking about osteoporosis itself, I want to talk about the title because I do think all three can be related and that eating disorders or disordered eating are so common among athletes and bodybuilders. Some know it, some don’t and think it’s par for the course, but it is there nonetheless, and possible in both cutting and bulking cycles, not merely cutting. I also recently read about “reverse anorexia,” in which males (the study was done on males and Iam sure it’s more common among males, as traditional anorexia is among females, although I am in no way saying it doesn’t exist among females) think they are too small and weak even though they really are big and strong. The article also found a higher rate of anorexia among male bodybuilders than among the general population.
I think I will continue to reiterate the interconnectedness of bodybuilding and eating disorders or disordered eating.
Anyway, osteoporosis is thinning of both bone tissue and bone density, and is most often seen among post-menopausal women, although it’s a well known condition among those with eating disorders, athletes (especially ones where size plays more of a role or where weight classes exist. Think female athlete triad), and bodybuilders (most likely when cutting, but also, excessive protein intake can put you at risk. Also, a lot of bodybuilders wrongly feel the need to shun dairy) alike.
Some risk factors are malnutrition, malabsorption, overexercising, amenorrhea, low body weight, low body fat percentage, too little calcium, family history of it, excessive consumption of alcohol, history of hormone treatment for various forms of cancer, smoking and low estrogen.
There are ways to help. First, bones build until your early 20s, so if you catch it early enough, you can work on reversing some of the damage. There is greater bone turnover. Some can at the very least get to osteopenia, which is one step better. But otherwise, other than medication and, of course, increasing your calcium and vitamin d intake, regular exercise is helpful. That can be a difficult balance for those who got the disorder, in part, from overexercising, and perhaps some monitoring needs to occur. But plyometrics , lifting, and weight-bearing exercises are of particular benefit. Of course you want to try to avoid high-impact exercises, which can be more likely to cause fractures.
As well, there are some foods that are helpful because of the nutrients and minerals they contain. For example, dairy, which contains calcium, is good for people with osteoporosis to consume. If you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t eat dairy, try things like calcium fortified tofu. Vegetables such as turnip greens, kale, collard greens, and Chinese cabbage have calcium, potassium and magnesium, and broccoli, kale, spinach, swiss chard, and watercress are high in vitamin k.
It should be noted that while many believe otherwise, simple estrogen replacement, which might correct the amenorrhea is not enough on its own to help with bone loss, in terms of preventing or fixing.
Osteoporosis is an issue for me, as when I had my first DEXA scan at age 19 or 20, I already had full blown osteoporosis, which has only gotten worse as the years have gone on, and while I really couldn’t have cared less when I found out, I do now. Just like my past laxative abuse recently came back to haunt me, so too is the osteoporosis. I fractured 4 vertebrae in my neck. A few months ago I got Clay Shoveler’s fractures in my c6 and c7, but didn’t know it. Of course I felt pain, and it was bothersome, but not intolerable. I continued to work out without skipping a bit (just a little reorganization of my exercises). Then two weeks ago today I fractured my first two thoracic, and that I really felt, and heard a snap. The pain was too much to work through, plus, doing so would have been stupid. My c6 and c7 haven’t healed, probably because I kept exercising. My doctor said my muscles are stronger than my bones.
If you are at risk for osteoporosis or were diagnosed with it, you might be like I was and not care. But fractures mean time out from the gym, and that you do care about, and believe me, it really sucks. Better to take care of yourself and never get to that point. Look at the risk factors and work on them not being part of your life.
randi morse, randi.morse@gmail.com, newton, ma
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