Children who are physically active may be less likely to suffer fractures when they are older, a new study suggests.

Currently in Ireland, over €400 million is spent every year by the health service on treating fractures in older people.

However, according to Swedish scientists, ‘exercise interventions in childhood may be associated with lower fracture risks as people age, due to the increases in peak bone mass that occurs in growing children who perform regular physical activity'.

The scientists followed the progress of over 2,300 children aged between seven and nine for six years. During that time, just over 800 of the children received 40 minutes of physical education every day at school, while the remaining children received 60 minutes of physical education per week.

During the study period, the risk of suffering a fracture was similar in both groups, however the increase in spinal bone mineral density was higher among the children who exercised on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, the scientists also carried out a study on just over 2,000 older people, including 709 former athletes, to determine rates of bone density loss.

They found that the bone mass density of the former athletes fell only slightly, from +1 to +0.7, with the bone mass density of the non-athletes falling significantly more.

The scientists from Skane University Hospital in Malmo said that increased activity in the younger ages ‘helped induce higher bone mass and improve skeletal size without increasing the fracture risk'.

"Our study highlights yet another reason why kids need to get regular daily exercise to improve their health both now and in the future," they added.

Details of these findings were presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in Chicago in the US.