Affiliations: [a] Unité de Recherche, "Adaptations
Cardio-circulatoires, Respiratoires, Métaboliques et Hormonales",
Faculté de Médecine Ibn El Jazzar, Sousse, Tunisia | [b] Unité de Recherche, "Neurophysiologie de la
Vigilance, de l'Attention et des Performances" (99/UR/08-23), Service
d'Explorations Fonctionnelles du Système Nerveux, CHU Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisia | [c] Unité de Recherche, "Les Pathologies de
l'Appareil Locomoteur", 04/UR/08-07, Service de Médecine Physique et de
Réadaptation, CHU Habib Bourguiba, Sfax, Tunisia | [d] Service de Biochimie, CHU Habib Bourguiba, Sfax, Tunisia
Note: [] Corresponding author: Nidhal Zarrouk, Institut Supérieur de
Sport et de l'Education Physique de Sfax Route de l'Aéroport, Km 3.5, BP
384, Sfax 3000, Tunisia. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Aim: To evaluate bone mass in female basketball players and the
relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and isokinetic muscle strength. Methods: We investigated 29 female basketball players, age 21.9 ±
9.1 years, training for about 6–8 hours per week. The reference group
consisted of 22 non-active female, age 21.4 – 1.5 years. BMD was measured
using dual-energy-X-ray absorptiometry in total body, lumbar spine, the whole
femur and humerus. Isokinetic peak torque of the quadriceps and hamstring
muscles were measured at 60 and 180°/s. Osteocalcin (OC) and
cross-linked C-telopeptide (CTX) were measured by radioimmunoassay and
electrochimiluminescence, respectively. Results: Compared to the
controls, the basketball group had significantly (P <0.001) a higher BMD
in the total body (11.6%), the lumbar spine (9.83%), the dominant femur
(16.8%), the non-dominant femur (15.8%) and the dominant humerus
(8.47%). The female basketball players had also significantly higher peak
torques at both isokinetic velocities (60 and 180°/s) and for both lower
limbs. All muscle peak torque measured for the female basketball players were
significantly correlated with correspondent leg BMD and for both velocities
tested. However, no significant correlations were noted for the control group.
Values of formation (OC) and resorption (CTX) markers were significantly higher
in the athletic females (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: Our results show clearly that practice of basketball is associated
with the improvement of bone mass. In addition, the most important finding of
our study is that isokinetic muscle strength seems to be correlated with
correspondent BMD in female basketball players.
Keywords: Bone mass, sports activities, female, muscle, isokinetic
