Exercise gives bone the signal to grow; nutrition gives it the raw materials. Calcium is the headline mineral, but it can’t work without vitamin D, which your body needs to absorb it.
The BHOF daily targets
- Women 50 and under: 1,000 mg calcium · 400–800 IU vitamin D
- Women 51+: 1,200 mg calcium · 800–1,000 IU vitamin D
- Men 50 and under: 1,000 mg calcium · 400–800 IU vitamin D
- Men 51–70: 1,000 mg calcium · 800–1,000 IU vitamin D
- Men 71+: 1,200 mg calcium · 800–1,000 IU vitamin D
Aim to get calcium from food first — dairy, fortified plant milks, leafy greens, tinned fish with bones. Use supplements to fill the gap, not as the foundation. Magnesium, potassium and vitamin K from a diet rich in fruit and vegetables round out a bone-friendly plate.
Other levers matter too: don’t smoke, keep alcohol moderate, and avoid crash diets — rapidly ‘unloading’ the skeleton through extreme weight loss costs you bone.