Study Shows Breastfed Babies Grow Stronger Muscles
_Featured_, Conscious Parenting Thursday, January 13th, 2011
A team of researchers from the University of Granada have found that babies who were breastfed developed stronger leg muscles as adolescents than those who were not breastfed.
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, surveyed the parents of 2,567 adolescent kids about the type of feeding their children received after birth, and the length of time they were fed this way. Physical tests were given to the adolescents in order to evaluate different variables, such as muscular strength and aerobic capacity. The results showed that adolescents who were breastfed from 3 to 5 months, or more, had half the risk of low performance in the study’s jump exercise, compared to those adolescents who were never breastfed. It was also found that muscular leg strength was greater in kids who had been breastfed over a longer time period.
The lead author of the study, García Artero stated, “Until now, no studies have examined the association between breastfeeding and future muscular aptitude. However, our results concur with the observations made as regards other neonatal factors, such as weight at birth, are positively related to better muscular condition during adolescence.”
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/f-sf-mmi010511.php
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