Bone Metabolism and Physical Activity Interactions

Bone is a dynamic tissue that continually adapts to mechanical forces through coordinated cycles of resorption by osteoclasts and formation by osteoblasts. Physical activity exerts its beneficial effects on skeletal health via mechanotransduction, whereby mechanical loading stimulates mesenchymal stem cells to adopt an osteogenic fate and enhances the production of bone matrix proteins. Exercise also modulates systemic factors—such as insulin-like growth factor 1, inflammatory cytokines and myokines—that influence bone remodelling and energy metabolism. In states of energy deficit or disuse, bone turnover may become uncoupled, leading to loss of bone mineral density and microarchitectural deterioration. Conversely, moderate endurance or resistance training can preserve bone mass even when energy availability is restricted, largely through maintenance of circulating anabolic hormones and suppression of marrow adipose tissue expansion. Immune cells within the bone marrow further integrate mechanical and metabolic cues, with inflammasomes and cytokine networks acting as additional mediators of exercise-induced skeletal adaptation. Collectively, these interrelated pathways underscore the global significance of optimised physical activity regimens for preventing osteoporosis, enhancing recovery from injury and mitigating the skeletal consequences of metabolic disorders.

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Bone Metabolism and Physical Activity Interactions publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in bone metabolism and physical activity interactions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Mechanotransduction: Cellular process by which mechanical forces are converted into biochemical signals in bone cells.

Osteoblast: Bone-forming cell responsible for synthesising and mineralising new bone matrix.

Osteoclast: Multinucleated cell specialised in bone resorption and matrix degradation.

Bone Mineral Density (BMD): Quantitative measure of mineral content per unit volume of bone, indicative of bone strength.

Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue (BMAT): Adipocyte population within the marrow cavity that influences local and systemic metabolism.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): Multipotent progenitor cells in the marrow capable of differentiation into osteoblasts, chondrocytes or adipocytes.

References

1. Exercise training modifies the bone and endocrine response to graded reductions in energy availability in skeletally mature female rodents. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2023).
2. Limitations in metabolic plasticity after traumatic injury are only moderately exacerbated by physical activity restriction. npj Metabolic Health and Disease (2024).
3. Physical Activity and Bone Health: What Is the Role of Immune System? A Narrative Review of the Third Way. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2019).