Abstract
The effects of swimming exercise on the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism of postmenopausal women were ascertained by comparing the data of 10 women who belonged to a swimming club (swimming group) with an average age of 63.2±5.9 years and those of 10 women who belonged to an art (handicrafts) club (art group) with an average age of 64.3±5.3 years. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed to measure the BMD of the whole body and the proximal femur, and a biochemical test (bone metabolism markers) was conducted to measure the levels of serum calcium, urinary creatinine, urinary calcium, and urinary deoxypyridinoline. The results were as follows:
1) While the whole body BMD for the swimming group was higher than that for the art group, there was no significant intergroup difference.
2) The leg muscle endurance for the swimming group was significantly higher than that for the art group.
3) The BMD of the proximal femur Ward's triangle tended to be maintained for the swimming group when compared to the art group, regardless of body weight.
These findings suggest that swimming exercise maintains leg muscle endurance and affects the proximal femur region in postmenopausal women. It is extremely important to consider how the elderly might incorporate swimming exercise into their daily life and maintain their physical fitness and walking ability.
