The type of exercise you do may be more important for your bones than how long you spend doing it. Researchers at Semmelweis University have found that intense physical activity involving sudden bursts of movement, quick changes in direction, and sharp turns appears especially effective at stimulating new bone formation.
The findings, published in Sports Medicine – Open, suggest that certain fast-paced sports may provide greater benefits for bone metabolism than walking or conventional strength training. The research could help scientists develop more effective exercise recommendations for preserving bone health and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Why Exercise Intensity Matters for Bone Health
To investigate how different forms of exercise affect bones, the Semmelweis University team reviewed 24 clinical studies involving 1,238 healthy adults.
Instead of relying on bone mineral density measurements, which can take considerable time to reveal changes, the researchers examined blood markers associated with the production of new bone tissue. These biological indicators can reveal how bones respond to exercise within a matter of weeks, allowing scientists to detect changes much sooner.
“What makes our study unique is that we examined not only the type of exercise – whether endurance, resistance, or combined training – but also exercise intensity, frequency, and duration. Our goal was to determine which forms of exercise stimulate bone metabolism most effectively and which appear to be less beneficial from this perspective,” said Dr. Péter Ferdinandy, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovations at Semmelweis University and senior author of the study.
Football and Handball Show Surprising Bone Benefits
The strongest responses were associated with vigorous sports that repeatedly require players to accelerate, change direction, turn, and make powerful movements.
Recreational football and handball stood out in particular. These activities were linked to increases of up to 45-46 percent in blood markers associated with bone formation, suggesting that they may provide a particularly strong stimulus for the body’s bone-building processes.
More conventional activities generally produced smaller responses. Walking, step aerobics, and standard resistance workouts performed in the gym were less effective at stimulating the measured indicators of bone formation.
The findings were especially unexpected for resistance training, which is commonly recommended as a way to support skeletal health.
“The most surprising finding was that resistance training did not produce a significant effect on markers of bone metabolism, even though several professional guidelines recommend this type of exercise for maintaining bone health. Likewise, low- or moderate-intensity endurance exercise, such as walking or jogging, showed no meaningful long-term effect,” explained Viktória Barna, PhD student at Semmelweis University and first author of the study.
Why Walking and Weight Training Still Matter
The results do not suggest that walking, jogging, or other less demanding activities should be abandoned. These forms of exercise continue to offer important health benefits, even if they do not stimulate the measured bone-building processes as strongly as more intense sports.
Rather, the research indicates that maintaining healthy bones may require greater mechanical stimulation than many everyday activities provide. Movements that place more substantial forces on the skeleton appear to produce a stronger response in the biological processes involved in forming new bone.
However, the researchers stress that people should not suddenly begin strenuous exercise without preparing appropriately.
This is especially important for individuals with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or metabolic conditions, as well as those who already have osteoporosis. Anyone in these groups who is considering a new activity or a more physically demanding exercise routine should first speak with their treating physician, general practitioner, or a sports medicine specialist. Medical guidance can help determine whether the activity and its intensity are suitable for their health and physical capabilities.
Could High-Intensity Exercise Help Prevent Osteoporosis?
The findings offer a new perspective on how exercise could be used to maintain bone health as people age. While the analysis focused on markers of bone metabolism rather than direct changes in bone density, the results suggest that vigorous activity may encourage early biological changes that support bone formation.
“According to the World Health Organization, regular physical activity offers numerous health benefits. However, our findings suggest that low-intensity exercise alone is not sufficient to stimulate bone metabolism. High-intensity exercise may trigger early beneficial changes in bone formation, potentially helping to slow bone loss and support healthy aging,” summarized Dr. Nóra Sydó, clinical specialist and co-author of the study.
The researchers believe that understanding which movements most effectively stimulate bone formation could lead to better exercise programs designed to preserve skeletal strength and help prevent osteoporosis.
For now, the findings highlight an important distinction: staying physically active is beneficial for overall health, but keeping bones healthy over the long term may depend not only on how much people move, but also on how powerfully and dynamically they move.