Relation between Fat Mass and Lean Mass with Bone Mineral Density in Iranian Military Men

Body Composition is composed of two main components: Fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM), each having different impacts on bone mineral density (BMD). In the present study we investigated the relation between these two components with BMD in military men.
In a cross-sectional study, BMD, FM and LM were measured in 99 military men with an average age of 35.7 years using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. The correlation between two-component FM and LM with BMD in the whole body and different limbs of the body were determined.
A negative correlation was seen between BMD with FM in the whole body (p=0.214) and the upper (p=0.955) and lower (p=0.836) limbs though it was statistically non-significant. Meanwhile, BMD had a significant positive correlation with LM in the upper (p=0.000) and lower (p=0.001) limbs and also the total body (p=0.001).
The results of this study indicate that FM has a negative effect on bone density and LM may serve as a true predictor of BMD in the upper and lower limbs in military men.