Bone Health Support

Bone is remodelled continuously by osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Peak bone mass is reached around age 30, after which slow loss begins, accelerating sharply in women for five to ten years after menopause as oestrogen withdrawal removes a brake on resorption. Roughly one in three women and one in five men over 50 will sustain an osteoporotic fracture, and hip fracture in particular carries high mortality in the year that follows. Density is only part of the story: bone quality, microarchitecture and fall risk all contribute, which is why muscle strength and balance belong in any bone protocol rather than nutrition alone.

Load the skeleton. Progressive resistance training and impact work — jumping, hopping, brisk stair climbing — are the only interventions that build bone rather than merely slowing loss, and the LIFTMOR trial showed heavy resistance training is safe and effective even in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Get 1000-1200 mg/day of calcium, preferring food sources since supplemental calcium carries a small cardiovascular signal that dietary calcium does not. Maintain 25-hydroxyvitamin D between 75 and 125 nmol/L, typically needing 1000-2000 IU/day. Protein at 1.0-1.2 g/kg supports the collagen matrix and reduces fall risk through muscle preservation. Vitamin K2 as MK-7 at 180 mcg/day carboxylates osteocalcin and had a positive fracture signal in one three-year trial. Magnesium and boron support mineral handling. Address fall risk with balance training, and stop smoking.

• •Progressive resistance training two to three times weekly
• •Impact loading such as jumping or hopping where safe
• •1000-1200 mg calcium daily, mostly from food
• •Vitamin D sufficiency at 75-125 nmol/L
• •Protein at 1.0-1.2 g/kg body weight
• •Balance training to reduce falls
• •Stopping smoking and limiting alcohol