Background: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between habitual physical activity (HPA) during life and bone mineral density (BMD) in men aged 50 years and older.
Methods: A total of 326 men aged 50 years and older, volunteers living in São Paulo city, Brazil, were studied. BMD was measured in the whole body, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, trochanter, and lumbar spine (L2-L4) with a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer. The HPA data were collected with questionnaires inquiring about physical exercise and occupational physical activity in the past and during the past 12 months and leisure and locomotor physical activity in the preceding 12 months. The relationship between BMD and HPA was analyzed using multiple linear regression models adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI).
Results: Practice of physical exercise in the past 10-20 years and leisure and locomotor physical activity in the preceding 12 months showed a significant positive correlation with BMD of whole body, femoral neck, trochanter, and lumbar spine, and this association was independent of age and BMI.
Conclusions: HPA can contribute to preserving BMD in men aged 50 years and older in Brazil, when it is practiced in the past 10-20 years and even in the present.