Association of Knee Extensor Muscle Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Bone Stiffness in Japanese Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Knee extensor muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are major components of physical fitness. Because the interactive association of knee extensor muscle strength and CRF with bone health remains unclear, we aimed to investigate such association in Japanese adults. Methods:...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Takahisa Ohta, Junzo Nagashima, Wataru Fukuda, Hiroyuki Sasai, Naokata Ishii
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Japan Epidemiological Association 2022-12-01
Series:Journal of Epidemiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jea/32/12/32_JE20200581/_pdf
Description
Summary:Background: Knee extensor muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are major components of physical fitness. Because the interactive association of knee extensor muscle strength and CRF with bone health remains unclear, we aimed to investigate such association in Japanese adults. Methods: Altogether, 8,829 Japanese adults (3,731 men and 5,098 women) aged ≥45 years completed the maximum voluntary knee extension test, submaximal exercise test, medical examination, and a questionnaire on lifestyle habits. Using an osteo-sono assessment index, low bone stiffness tendency was defined as 80% under the young-adults mean. Multivariable odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated after confounder adjustment. Results: Overall, 542 men (14.5%) and 978 women (19.2%) had low bone stiffness tendency. We observed an inverse association between muscle strength and low bone stiffness tendency after adjustment for CRF in both sexes (P for linear trend <0.001). Compared with the lowest CRF, the multivariable ORs for low bone stiffness tendency in the highest CRF were 0.47 (95% CI, 0.36–0.62) for men and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.82–1.35) for post-menopausal women (P < 0.001 and P = 0.704, respectively). No interactive association between muscle strength and CRF for low bone stiffness tendency existed in both sexes and irrespective of menopausal status. Conclusion: Knee extensor muscle strength and CRF were associated additively, not synergistically, with bone health. Maintaining high levels of both physical fitness components may improve musculoskeletal health in the cohort. The relationship between physical fitness and bone status should be longitudinally investigated in the future.
ISSN:0917-5040
1349-9092