How a 'bone-strengthening routine' can help NFL players fight injuries — and the exercises you can try yourself
A bone health expert explains bone strength, how to strengthen bones, and how to improve athletic performance using high load.
Kyle Zagrodzky, CEO of OsteoStrong, explains that injuries in athletes are often due to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. To understand bones in relation to these components, he compares them to the chassis of a car. Strong bones are essential for strong muscles, ligaments, and tendons, which in turn contribute to better athletic performance and injury prevention.
Zagrodzky emphasizes that high-impact force is crucial for bone growth. Specifically, a minimum of 4.2 multiples of body weight is required to trigger new bone mineral density development. This threshold, known as the osteogenic threshold, is only met by high-impact physical activities, such as jumping, sprinting, gymnastics, and heavy weightlifting. Low-impact activities like walking or jogging do not provide significant benefits.
Gymnasts generally have the highest bone mineral density and strength among athletes, but their high-impact activities often lead to joint issues, causing them to retire early or face hip and back problems. However, OsteoStrong offers devices that provide high-impact-level force without actual impact, reducing the risk of injuries.
Strengthening bones through controlled loading has a positive impact on the central nervous system, leading to stronger muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Consequently, athletic performance improves across various disciplines, including endurance athletes and explosive force athletes like powerlifters and golfers.
To prevent injuries and enhance rehabilitation, focusing on high loading and impact-ready positions is recommended. Examples of such exercises include heavy isometric training, such as quarter-depth squats, heavy farmer's holds, heavy wall squat holds, and split or lunge holds. Overcoming isometrics, like pushing against a heavily loaded fixed barbell without moving, are also effective.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Guide's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
