The Claim

In female competitive contemporary dancers, a one-unit increase in fat-free mass is associated with a 27% reduction in the likelihood of bone injuries (odds ratio = 0.73, 95% confidence interval: 0.56–0.98).

Source: (Low) Energy Availability and Its Association with Injury Occurrence in Competitive Dance: Cross-Sectional Analysis in Female Dancers

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
44score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Correlation
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Female competitive contemporary dancers with higher fat-free mass have a lower rate of bone injuries compared to those with lower fat-free mass.

See the scientific wording

In female competitive contemporary dancers, lower fat-free mass is associated with a 27% reduced likelihood of bone injuries per unit increase (OR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.56–0.98), suggesting greater muscle and bone mass may protect against skeletal trauma.

Why this might work

More muscle and bone mass absorbs and spreads out the force from dancing movements, so bones don't get damaged when they hit the ground or twist during jumps and landings.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: (Low) Energy Availability and Its Association with Injury Occurrence in Competitive Dance: Cross-Sectional Analysis in Female Dancers

    Dancers with more muscle and lean body mass were less likely to break bones, because stronger muscles and denser bones can better handle the stress of dancing. The study found this link clearly in real dancers.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

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