A comparative study on the bone mineral component and its density in male soccer and handball professional athletes and non-athletes

Some studies conducted so far suggest that exercising during adolescence and young age can increase the amount and density of bone minerals to be stored for the age of senility. However, it has not been confirmed yet what type and intensity of bone minerals may provide for a maximum rate of the anabolic stimulation. Thus, the purpose of this study is to compare the amount and density of the bone minerals in male soccer and handball professional athletes with those of male non-athletes’. This is a an experimental research study on 42 males ranging 20-30 years old who were divided into three groups consisting of: 14 professional soccer athletes (Experimental Group 1), 14 professional handball athletes (Experimental Group 2) and 14 young male non-athletes (Control Group). The athletes had the experience of at least three continuous years of regular professional exercising (3 sessions a week) and participating in national championships. These participants were selected from Mashhad athletic clubs, while the non-athletes were experiencing their first session of exercising in the club. Using DEXA, the participants’ BMD of arm femur and bone mass was measured. Then, the collected data were investigated at the significance level of 5 percent, using descriptive statistics and unilateral variance analysis as well as LSD pursuit test. The obtained results from this research indicate that there was not any significant difference among the three groups of the study in terms of BMD of the arms. Also, in terms of femur and bone mass, there was no significant difference between two groups of athletes; i.e. soccer players and handball players (P=0.465). However, the findings suggest a significant difference between the control group and soccer player group (P=0.001) and also between the control and handball player group (P=0.004). As a result, the findings of this study conform to the theory which states that bone response to the mechanical loading depends on the type and style of athletic activities.