http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-1640
![Sample our Engineering & Technology journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5933/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Engineering-Tech.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
This meta-analysis aims to determine the effects of regular swimming on bone mineral density (BMD) in young adults (18–30 years). A systematic search was performed in Pubmed, SPORTDiscus and the Cochrane Library from the earliest possible year to March 2016. Swimmers were compared to non-athletic controls (CG) and to high-impact athletes (HIGH). Effect sizes with the Hedges g in random effects models were developed. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analyses. Swimmers presented similar BMD values to CG in whole-body (g = −0.20; P = 0.251), femoral neck (g = −0.05; P = 0.818) and lumbar spine (g = 0.18; P = 0.492); and lower BMD in the whole-body (g = −1.21; P < 0.001), femoral neck (g = −1.51; P < 0.001) and lumbar spine (g = −0.84; P = 0.017) than the HIGH. For the whole-body differences, the higher the latitude the smaller the differences between swimmers and HIGH (B = 0.10; P = 0.001). For the femoral neck differences, age also seemed to reduce the differences between groups (B = 0.19; P = 0.020). Young adult swimmers present similar BMD values than CG and lower values than HIGH.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Spanish ‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación’ ‘Plan Nacional I+D+i 2008-2011 (Project DEP2011-29093)’. This project has been co-financed by “Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional” (MICINN-FEDER). AGB received a Grant FPI 2012 (BES-2012-051888) from the ‘Ministerio Economía y Competitividad’. The authors would like to thank Lindsey A. Bruton for her work reviewing the English style and grammar
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.