We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Diet

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Peak Bone Mass?

Diane Goettel
By
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 30,681
Share

Peak bone mass is the largest amount of bone tissue that a person has at any point in life. This occurs within a mature skeleton, as bone mass develops all through childhood, adolescence, the teenage years, and even during the years of early adulthood. Most people reach their peak mass by the age of 30. Because bones are some of the most rigid, sturdy objects in the body, many people forget that they are living tissues, much like muscle. As with muscle mass, bone mass can be lost due to a number of factors.

Just as the body consistently breaks down old muscle tissue and creates new, the body also consistently breaks down bone and replaces it with new tissue. As many people have a few periods of peak fitness in their lives, during which they have the most muscle mass of their lives, everyone also has a period in which they have more bone mass than they have ever had before or will ever have again. At this point they have what is considered to be peak bone mass.

After this point, bone mass can be lost. In order to avoid brittle bones, too much loss of bone tissue, or even osteoporosis, people have to work not to allow their bone mass to fall too far below their peak point. This can be done by getting plenty of calcium and also making sure to participate in regular physical activities. Unlike muscle mass, which can clearly be seen under the skin, bone mass is impossible to see without medical technology. This is because the mass does not just have to do with the size of the bones, but also with their density.

At the point of peak bone mass, the bones are more dense than ever have been or ever will be in the future. Although the bones may have finished growing in size many year before the peak point, they have never stopped developing internally. The difference between a bone at the peak and a bone that has experienced bone density loss or osteoporosis is clear. When bone density has depleted or if osteoporosis sets in, the bones look much more porous and, in a magnified form, can even resemble a pumice stone.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Diane Goettel
By Diane Goettel
"Diane Goettel has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in English from Brooklyn College. Diane lives in Mount Vernon, New York with her husband, Noah. They are the proud parents of a Doberman Pinscher named Spoon. Specialties: book editing, book marketing, book publishing, freelance writing, magazine publishing, magazine writing, copywriting,"
Discussion Comments
By bythewell — On May 31, 2012

@Iluviaporos - The other interesting thing about calcium and milk in general, is that drinking it can apparently lead to weight loss, which can also help your bones.

It doesn't help directly, since in fact being heavier will lead your bones to higher bone mass, since they have to carry more weight.

But, if you weigh less, you're more likely to move around and be active, which is the best way of increasing bone mass density.

So, drinking a lot of milk can help your bones in more than one way. Of course, eating a lot of ice cream won't have the same effect!

By lluviaporos — On May 31, 2012

@pastanaga - Actually, I don't think caffeine has much effect on the bones, so you can sip that coffee without feeling guilty.

The introduction and popularity of milk and milk products has probably saved us from an epidemic of osteoporosis since it improves bone mineral density so much in older people. With the modern diet so full of processed foods, I think ice cream is the only thing that really saves a lot of people from losing bone density.

It does also help kids to grow better and probably increases their peak bone mass in general. I know there's a theory that milk products are the reason many people are taller than their parents, particularly people from countries where milk wasn't traditionally made into many foods.

Although, of course, milk isn't the only way to get calcium in the diet. Fish is another good source of it, particularly small fish where you eat the bones along with the flesh (like sardines). Seaweeds, nuts and some vegetables are also good sources.

By pastanaga — On May 30, 2012

I've heard it said several times that the rates of osteoporosis and bone breaks in older women has gone down because of the popularity of fancy coffee drinks. I would guess they make the peak bone mass later in people as well.

It's a bit ironic really, because I believe too much caffeine can actually be bad for your bones, but people put so much milk into coffee now, with cappuccinos, and lattes and so forth, that they are getting more calcium than they would otherwise have.

This is particularly true of people in cultures where milk isn't used in many dishes. Starbucks is all over the place (and if it isn't there, something else equivalent will be) and people are willing to spend quite a bit to get a regular coffee fix. And they're helping their bones while they're at it.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
"Diane Goettel has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in English from Brooklyn College. Diane lives in Mount...
Learn more
Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-peak-bone-mass.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.