Markers of Bone Health, Bone-Specific Physical Activities, Nutritional Intake, and Quality of Life of Professional Jockeys in Hong Kong.

The research sheds light on the perception that routine weight-making practices by professional horse racing jockeys might negatively impact physiological and mental health. The study focuses on indicators of bone health, nutritional intake, bone-specific physical activities, and quality of life in professional jockeys in Hong Kong, comparing results with controls matched by gender, age, and Body Mass Index.

Research Methodology

• The study involves a comparison between a group of Hong Kong professional jockeys (14 members) and a control group matched by age, gender, and Body Mass Index (14 members).
• Measurements of various criteria were taken from every participant: physical measurements, serum hormonal biomarkers, bone mineral density, patterns of bone-specific physical activities, nutritional intake, and quality of life.

Key Findings

• The study reveals that the jockeys have markedly lesser bone mineral density in both left and right calcanei (heel bones) compared to the control group (significance: both ps < .01).
• Almost all jockeys (13 out of 14) exhibit either osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis) or osteoporosis in at least one of their heel bones.
• No significant difference is noted between the groups in terms of bone mineral density in forearms.
• The score on the bone-specific physical activity questionnaire was less in jockeys as opposed to controls (significance: p < .05).
• The jockeys were found to have a lower daily energy intake than the controls (significance: p < .01).
• No noticeable difference between the groups concerning micronutrient intake as assessed by a bone-specific food frequency questionnaire, blood hormonal markers, and quality of life scores.

Implications and Recommendations

• The researchers concluded that professional jockeys in Hong Kong displayed subpar bone conditions in calcanei and insufficient energy intake and bone-loading physical activities compared to healthy controls.
• The research recommends further studies to assess the impact of improved bone-loading physical activities and nutritional habits on the musculoskeletal health of professional jockeys.