bird wrote:John Duffield wrote:The weights and running will only affect load bearing bones.
Really? Do you know that? Or are you assuming? I don't have time to research, but I would think that if you are lifting and your body is doing things to increase bone density, it would have a more systemic effect than just load bearing bones.
Anyone know more either way?
Absolutely true. It's a very important aspect of weight training in football as a means to prevent injury. Not only do muscles and tendons increase their load bearing capacity, but bones respond this way too and not just the load bearing ones. My old trainer used to say that there was no better way to make your forearms bigger than doing squats. Generally speaking the larger the muscle or bone being worked the more systemic the effect will be. Smaller muscles and bone will have little to no effect on a whole. Still, the last I read about this there were some conflicting opinions.
It is important that significant weight be applied, for instance, circuit training with light weights will have a minimum impact on bone density, but running or prolonged exposure to high impact sports (like football) will have a significant effect on bone density and strength.
Orthopedists have been using resistance training to assist the elderly with bone mass issues for some time as well.