Can specific pre-workout meals reduce bone resorption in young gymnasts?

The pre-adolescence in woman is a key stage to obtain adequate bone mineral content and to decrease the risk of osteoporosis in adulthood. Exercise and adequate nutrition can influence the bone growth process. The aim of this paper was to verify if a different pre-exercise meal can change exercise-induced bone resorption in female child artistic gymnasts. Twenty-eight preadolescent female were requited for this study. Training was preceded by high-carbohydrate meal (HCM; 300 kcal, 88% carbohydrates, 9% protein, 3% fat) or high protein meal (HPM; 300 kcal, 55% carbohydrates, 31% protein, 13% fat) ninety minutes before the start of the training session. Bone resorption biomarker, C-terminal telopeptide region of collagen type 1 (CTX), were analyzed from the urine sample collected pre and post meal and post- gymnastics workout. Pre-exercise eating habits were examined by a validated short food frequency question (FFQ) for children. The group with HCM significantly reduces bone resorption post-exercise by decreasing CTX levels more than HPM group. The FFQ shows that about 30% of the children, of both groups, do not have regularly pre-exercise eating habits. In conclusion, HCM prior to high intensity physical activity seems to reduce acute post-exercise bone resorption in pre-pubertal age gymnasts. The analysis of the pre-exercise eating habits indicate that there is variability in the frequency and timing of meal consumption before exercise.