Holocene skeletal samples challenge link between sedentary lifestyles and age-related bone weakening

Research by Vladimír Sládek sheds new light on how bones age, challenging long-held assumptions that sedentary lifestyles are the main cause of weakening bone strength in modern humans.

The study analyzed 1,881 adult humeri, femurs and tibias from Holocene European populations to examine how bone strength and structure changed with age. Surprisingly, the researchers found that diaphyseal (diaphyseal) aging patterns were consistent among adults from the early and late Holocene, despite significant differences in physical activity levels between the two groups. The research is published in the journal Scientific advances.

“Our results suggest that lifestyle differences may not fully explain age-related decline in bone strength,” said Dr. Sládek. “Instead, the biology of bone growth and aging plays a critical role.”

Key findings include:

• Insufficient subperiosteal apposition: While bones attempt to accommodate by expanding outward, this process does not fully compensate for the inward expansion of the marrow cavity.
• Sex-specific differences:
  • Diaphyseal strength remained stable across female femurs and male long bones.
  • However, women’s humeri and tibias showed significant age-related declines, indicating greater upper extremity vulnerability.
• Most affected upper limbs: The humeri were found to be more susceptible to aging than the femurs and tibias, highlighting the essential role of postnatal growth in maintaining bone health.

Wider implications

Research highlights the importance of growth patterns early in life to counteract bone loss later in adulthood. It also challenges the prevailing view that reduced physical activity in modern societies is the sole driver of age-related skeletal frailty.

“Understanding how bones adapt – or fail to adapt – throughout life is vital not only for anthropology but also for public health,” added Dr Sládek. “This information could inform strategies to prevent osteoporosis and related conditions in aging populations.”

This research examined diaphyseal strength and cortical bone loss in Holocene skeletal samples to study long-term patterns of bone aging. The work highlights evolutionary and developmental influences on skeletal health throughout human history.