Sarah Little, M.S.Bone is a complex and active tissue. Most people think once you stop growing that the bone is no longer changing; but actually, bone is constantly remodeling itself – it is just in a balance between resorption and formation. In fact, bone is constantly adapting to the world around it. Many things affect bone, like exercise (or the lack thereof), diet, inflammatory diseases, and radiation. While most people never encounter radiation, individuals with cancer or astronauts e...

Patrick Ryan, M.S.Physical inactivity, whether due to sedentary lifestyle or bedrest while recovering from injury or illness, is a significant detriment to overall health. In the short term, reducing activity results in muscle atrophy: the loss of both muscle size and strength. This problem not only applies to athletes who may be forced to reduce activity due to an orthopedic injury, or adults living a sedentary lifestyle, but is also a huge concern in regards to manned spaceflight.In low Earth ...

Brandon Macias, Ph.DThe estimated lifetime risks of an osteoporotic fracture are about 50% in women and 22% in men. Fractures in the elderly lead to large, often irreversible loss of quality of life and are associated with an increased risk of death. Furthermore, annual direct-care costs attributable to osteoporotic fractures are estimated to cost up to $18 billion in the United States. Most research to date has shown that regular weight bearing exercise helps preserve bone mineral density in po...