Cycling Does Not Weaken Bones
One widely reported study showed that bicycle riders
have bones that are less dense than people who don’t exercise
at all. A science writer for a major newspaper made the
ridiculous recommendation that bicycle riders should therefore lift
weights to strengthen their bones, or change sports. Bone density
tests do not necessarily measure bone strength. Birds have
unbelievably thin bones that are extremely strong, and are far more
resistant to fractures than many mammals that have much denser bones.
There is no evidence that bicycle riders or racers are at
increased risk for bone fractures. Racers crash all the time. Lance
Armstrong spends as much time on a bike as anyone, and he has had
several high impact crashes. If he had weak bones, he would be in a
wheelchair, and not be the greatest bicycle racer in the world.
February 1, 2006
Checked 9/28/08