Lifetime exercise and disk degeneration: an MRI study of monozygotic twins
Abstract
Participation in some competitive sports has been shown to increase disk degeneration; however, the long-term effects of recreational physical activities are unclear. We investigated the effects of endurance exercise and power sports on disk degeneration in monozygotic male twins with contrasting lifetime exercise histories. The effects of endurance exercise were studied in 22 discordant twin pairs (mean lifetime frequencies of 3.9 vs 1.1 times/wk), and the effects of power sports were investigated in 12 discordant pairs (2,300 vs 200 h of weightlifting). The age range of the twins was from 35 to 69 yr. No differences in MRI findings between co-twins discordant for endurance exercise were found at any of the spinal regions. Subjects with more power sport involvement had greater disk degeneration in the T6-T12 region (P < 0.03), but similar findings were not present in the lumbar spine. Controlling for recalled back injuries, occupational loading, smoking, and driving did not significantly affect the results. No signs of beneficial or harmful effects of lifetime endurance exercise on disk degeneration were seen. Increased power sport participation was associated with slightly greater disk degeneration in the lower thoracic spine, but not in the lumbar spine.
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Monozygotic twins with different activity levels showed no differences in general or spinal bone mass.
“twins discordant for physical activity do not differ in generalized bone mass or spinal cord bone mass (542)”
From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [542]
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Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases
Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012) · Comprehensive Physiology · doi:10.1002/cphy.c110025 · Cited by 2,575 · see citing works
Socioeconomic and physical characteristics of individuals with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis
Abbas, J., Hamoud, K., May, H., Peled, N., Sarig, R., Stein, D., Alperovitch-Najemson, D., & Hershkovitz, I. (2013) · Spine · doi:10.1097/brs.0b013e31828a2846 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
- Authors
- VIDEMAN, T., BATTI??, M. C., GIBBONS, L. E., MANNINEN, H., GILL, K., FISHER, L. D., & KOSKENVUO, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Jyväskylä (FI)
- University of Washington (US)
- Venue
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- Published
- 1997-10
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1350-1356
- ISSN
- 0195-9131 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2039700441
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (1 R01 AR40857-03, R01AR040857)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cervical and Thoracic Myelopathy
- Keywords
- intervertebral disc degeneration, endurance exercise, power sports, weightlifting, monozygotic twins, discordant twins, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, leisure-time physical activity, back injuries
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Diseases in Twins, Finland, Humans, Intervertebral Disc Displacement, Lumbar Vertebrae, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Physical Endurance, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sports, Thoracic Vertebrae, Twins, Monozygotic, Exercise, Statistics, Nonparametric
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