Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review

Bone stress injuries are pervasive among endurance runners due to repetitive sport-specific mechanical loading and a higher prevalence of low energy availability (i.e., inadequate dietary energy intake relative to exercise energy expenditure). Chronic endurance exercise promotes bone formation, thus...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sofia Valente Ferreira, Silar Gardy, Tyler A. Churchward-Venne, Andrea R. Josse, Jenna C. Gibbs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Bone Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187225000270
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849335712336314368
author Sofia Valente Ferreira
Silar Gardy
Tyler A. Churchward-Venne
Andrea R. Josse
Jenna C. Gibbs
author_facet Sofia Valente Ferreira
Silar Gardy
Tyler A. Churchward-Venne
Andrea R. Josse
Jenna C. Gibbs
author_sort Sofia Valente Ferreira
collection DOAJ
description Bone stress injuries are pervasive among endurance runners due to repetitive sport-specific mechanical loading and a higher prevalence of low energy availability (i.e., inadequate dietary energy intake relative to exercise energy expenditure). Chronic endurance exercise promotes bone formation, thus, runners typically have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than non-weightbearing athletes and sedentary individuals. However, runners may experience increased bone resorption for hours to days following an endurance exercise bout. If recovery is insufficient, uncoupled bone turnover can pose a significant risk to their bone health. While skeletal-immune system crosstalk has been studied, the interaction during and after exercise in athletes is an emerging area of research. Nutritional interventions have been investigated for their effects on bone metabolism surrounding exercise. However, limited research has examined dietary protein intake in endurance athletes, particularly concerning its effects on bone metabolism and osteoimmunology. This narrative review provides an overview of the evidence on the effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokines, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance athletes. Acute bouts of high-intensity running increase osteokines and bone turnover markers that promote bone resoprtion which parallels increases in pro-inflammatory markers in endurance athletes, suggesting crosstalk between these systems during and after exercise. Chronic endurance exercise promotes increased resting levels of bone formation, while reducing resting pro-inflammatory markers. Adequate dietary protein ingestion habitually and pre-, during, and post-exercise may attenuate bone resportion and pro-inflammatory markers in endurance athletes.
format Article
id doaj-art-a26fcad8bcfd4aa7a13a6b9324890d6f
institution Kabale University
issn 2352-1872
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Bone Reports
spelling doaj-art-a26fcad8bcfd4aa7a13a6b9324890d6f2025-08-20T03:45:11ZengElsevierBone Reports2352-18722025-06-012510185010.1016/j.bonr.2025.101850Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative reviewSofia Valente Ferreira0Silar Gardy1Tyler A. Churchward-Venne2Andrea R. Josse3Jenna C. Gibbs4Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 Av des Pins O, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1S4, CanadaDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 Av des Pins O, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1S4, CanadaDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 Av des Pins O, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1S4, Canada; Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, McGill University Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; Division of Geriatric Medicine, MUHC-Montreal General Hospital,1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, CanadaSchool of Kinesiology & Health Science, York University, 170 Campus Walk Room 341, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada; Muscle Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health, York University, Farquharson Life Sciences, 110 Campus Walk, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 Av des Pins O, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1S4, Canada; Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, McGill University Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; Corresponding author at: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 Av des Pins O, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1S4, Canada.Bone stress injuries are pervasive among endurance runners due to repetitive sport-specific mechanical loading and a higher prevalence of low energy availability (i.e., inadequate dietary energy intake relative to exercise energy expenditure). Chronic endurance exercise promotes bone formation, thus, runners typically have higher bone mineral density (BMD) than non-weightbearing athletes and sedentary individuals. However, runners may experience increased bone resorption for hours to days following an endurance exercise bout. If recovery is insufficient, uncoupled bone turnover can pose a significant risk to their bone health. While skeletal-immune system crosstalk has been studied, the interaction during and after exercise in athletes is an emerging area of research. Nutritional interventions have been investigated for their effects on bone metabolism surrounding exercise. However, limited research has examined dietary protein intake in endurance athletes, particularly concerning its effects on bone metabolism and osteoimmunology. This narrative review provides an overview of the evidence on the effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokines, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance athletes. Acute bouts of high-intensity running increase osteokines and bone turnover markers that promote bone resoprtion which parallels increases in pro-inflammatory markers in endurance athletes, suggesting crosstalk between these systems during and after exercise. Chronic endurance exercise promotes increased resting levels of bone formation, while reducing resting pro-inflammatory markers. Adequate dietary protein ingestion habitually and pre-, during, and post-exercise may attenuate bone resportion and pro-inflammatory markers in endurance athletes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187225000270Endurance exerciseDietary proteinEndurance runnersOsteokinesBone turnover markersInflammatory markers
spellingShingle Sofia Valente Ferreira
Silar Gardy
Tyler A. Churchward-Venne
Andrea R. Josse
Jenna C. Gibbs
Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review
Bone Reports
Endurance exercise
Dietary protein
Endurance runners
Osteokines
Bone turnover markers
Inflammatory markers
title Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review
title_full Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review
title_fullStr Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review
title_full_unstemmed Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review
title_short Effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine, bone turnover, and inflammatory markers in endurance runners: A narrative review
title_sort effects of endurance exercise and dietary protein intake on osteokine bone turnover and inflammatory markers in endurance runners a narrative review
topic Endurance exercise
Dietary protein
Endurance runners
Osteokines
Bone turnover markers
Inflammatory markers
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187225000270
work_keys_str_mv AT sofiavalenteferreira effectsofenduranceexerciseanddietaryproteinintakeonosteokineboneturnoverandinflammatorymarkersinendurancerunnersanarrativereview
AT silargardy effectsofenduranceexerciseanddietaryproteinintakeonosteokineboneturnoverandinflammatorymarkersinendurancerunnersanarrativereview
AT tylerachurchwardvenne effectsofenduranceexerciseanddietaryproteinintakeonosteokineboneturnoverandinflammatorymarkersinendurancerunnersanarrativereview
AT andrearjosse effectsofenduranceexerciseanddietaryproteinintakeonosteokineboneturnoverandinflammatorymarkersinendurancerunnersanarrativereview
AT jennacgibbs effectsofenduranceexerciseanddietaryproteinintakeonosteokineboneturnoverandinflammatorymarkersinendurancerunnersanarrativereview