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Exercise is recommended by doctors for everyone, from children, to the elderly, simply because of various benefits it brings.  Be it for normal body weight or keeping the heart healthy, physical activity is one of the key factors for a healthy life.
 
According to a new study, even moderate amount of exercise or physical activity could prove beneficial for premenopausal women in reducing sclerostin-a known inhibitor of bone formation. Also, it boosts IGF-1 levels, which are known to have a very positive effect on bone formation, reports Medical Xpress.
 
Bone tissues are altering in nature and are easily affected by hormonal changes and physical activity.
 
Sclerostin, a product of osteocytes, the most abundant cells found in human bone, travels to the surface of the bone and hinders the production of cells beneficial for bone development.
 
"Physical activity is good for bone health and results in lowering sclerostin, a known inhibitor of bone formation and enhancing IGF-1 levels, a positive effector on bone health" said Mohammed-Salleh M. Ardawi, PhD, FRCPath, professor at the Center of Excellence for Osteoporosis Research and Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia and lead researcher for this study.
 
"We also found physical activity training that enhances mechanical loading in combination with anabolic therapeutic agents will have added positive effect on bone health, particularly bone formation."
 
For the cross-sectional study, the researchers randomly selected 1,235 premenopausal women and followed up 58 of these women for an eight-week course of physical activity training.
 
These women were compared with 62 women of the control group. All the participants in the study were medically examined and their bone mineral densities were also measured, along with, bone turnover markers and serum sclerostin and IGF-1.
 
The findings of the study revealed women doing two hours or more of physical activity per week had significantly lower levels of serum sclerostin and higher IGF-1 levels when compared to those with less than two hours of physical activity per week.
 
"Physical activity training is conceptually simple, inexpensive, and can serve practical purposes including reducing the risk of low bone mass, osteoporosis, and consequently fractures," said Ardawi. "Our study found that even minor changes in physical activity were associated with clear effects on serum levels of sclerostin, IGF-1 and bone turnover markers."
 
The study was published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).