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By Kate Hunger 

Alexis Ortiz, PT, Ph.D., SCS, CSCS, FACSM, professor, and chair of the physical therapy department, recently presented a poster on bone density research at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Ortiz shared findings from a study that looked at body composition and the biomarker leptin in female long-distance runners. 

Researchers measured the bone mineral content, lean mass and fasting leptin of 10 collegiate runners on the same running team. Fasting leptin showed a statistically significant positive association with both bone mineral content and lean mass.

Ortiz noted that research shows biomarkers impact energy balance, which indicates that good bone density and muscle mass are not only related to exercise.

“There’s more to learn about the role of these energy-balancing biomarkers and their relation to exercise, performance and good health,” he said.