Effects of physical training and calcium intake on bone mineral density of students with mental retardation.
Three 45-minute weight-bearing play sessions per week boost hip bone density in boys with ID without any need for calcium pills.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hemayattalab (2010) ran a six-month RCT with boys who have intellectual disability. The boys were split into three groups: physical training only, physical training plus calcium pills, or no training at all.
Training meant 45 minutes of weight-bearing games three times a week at school. Staff led the sessions like PE class.
What they found
Both training groups gained hip bone density. The no-training group stayed the same.
Calcium pills did not add extra benefit. Moving was the key.
How this fits with other research
Hui-Ang et al. (2019) and Giagazoglou et al. (2015) also used school-based movement programs. They saw motor skill gains, not bone gains, in kids with coordination disorder. Same setting, different yardstick.
Ben Mansour et al. (2026) extends the idea to older teens. They swapped weight-bearing for mindfulness-based movement and still saw big motor boosts. It shows the population can keep gaining past elementary years.
Ding et al. (2017) pushed the model into telehealth. Adolescents with IDD joined 30-minute group workouts on tablets and stayed active. The core message—regular movement works—holds across place and format.
Why it matters
You do not need fancy gear or supplements. Schedule three 45-minute weight-bearing play blocks a week and you can improve bone health for boys with ID while they have fun. Track femoral neck BMD yearly to show families real data.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical training and calcium intake on bone mineral density (BMD) of students with mental retardation. Forty mentally retarded boys (age 7-10 years old) were randomly assigned to four groups (no differences in age, BMD, calcium intake and physical activity): training groups with or without calcium supplementation (Tr+Ca+ and Tr+Ca-) and nontraining groups with or without calcium supplementation (Tr-Ca+ and Tr-Ca-). The intervention involved 45 min of physical training performed 3 sessions a week and/or the addition of dietary calcium-rich food using enriched cow milk with vitamin D containing 230 mg calcium per serving, over 6 months. Paired-samples t-test and ANOVA analysis was used to determine the main and combined effects of training and calcium on BMD. All groups showed greater femoral neck BMD after 6 months. The increase in femoral neck BMD in the Tr+Ca+ group was 10% greater than increase in the Tr+Ca- group (not significant). Apparently, the effect of training was greater than calcium intake because the Tr+Ca- group achieved 4% greater BMD than Tr-Ca+ group (not significant). In this study, both training groups had greater BMD than the control group (Tr-Ca-) (P<0.05). In these participants with inadequate calcium intakes, additional exercise and calcium supplementation resulted in a 6-20% greater increase in BMD than controls at the loaded site (femoral neck). These results help to provide more evidence for public health organizations to deal with both exercise and nutrition issues in children for the achievement of peak BMD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2010 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.02.002