Jogging and bone mineral density in men: Results from NHANES III

Objectives. This cross-sectional population-based study assessed the association of jogging with femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in men. Methods. Data are from a nationally representative sample of 4254 men aged 20 to 59 years from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Total femoral BMD was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Jogging was self-reported. Results. Jogging (any vs none) was strongly associated with higher BMD in multivariate models (P < .01) for both young and middle-aged men. Men who jogged 9 or more times per month had higher BMD levels than those who jogged only 1 to 8 times per month (P = .01). Conclusions. Jogging is associated with higher femoral neck BMD in men. Additional large-scale studies that measure all aspects of jogging are warranted.