Calcium requirements for bone growth in Canadian boys and girls during adolescence

Abstract

Adequate dietary intake during the growth period is critical for bone mineral accretion. In 1997, an adequate intake (AI) of 1300mg/d Ca was set for North American adolescents aged 9-18 years based on best available data. We determined bone Ca accrual values from age 9 to 18 years taking into account sex and maturity. Furthermore, we used the accrual data to estimate adolescents' Ca requirements. Total body bone mineral content (TBBMC) of eighty-five boys and sixty-seven girls participating in the Saskatchewan Paediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study were used to determine annual TBBMC accumulation over the pubertal growth period. Using a similar factorial approach as the AI, we estimated Ca requirements of adolescent boys and girls for two age groups: 9-13 and 14-18 years. Between 9 and 18 years, boys accrued 1988 (sd 745)g bone mineral content (BMC) per year, equivalent to 1754 (sd 657)mgCa per d with the maximum BMC accrual of 3359g from age 13 to 14 years. Girls had 1381 (sd 642)g BMC per year, equalling1218 (sd 566)mgCa per d with the maximum annual BMC accrual of 2660g from age 12 to 13 years. Differences were observed between both sex and age groups with respect to Ca needs: boys and girls aged 9-13 years would require 1000-1100mg/dCa, and from age 14 to 18 years, the mean Ca requirements would be relatively stable at 1000mg/d for girls but would rise to 1200mg/d for boys.