DESCRIPTION This volume describes and discusses the maturation of bone in children and adolescents. The focus is on the role of physical activity for optimizing this process. PURPOSE To provide an up to date review of the factors that influence the development of bone health during childhood and adolescence. AUDIENCE Exercise specialists, pediatricians, nutritionists, biomedical researchers, sports medics and any public health professional will find this book very helpful when dealing with optimizing bone development and/or maintaining bone health. FEATURES The featured subjects are: Osteoporosis: A Pediatric Concern?; The Biomechanical Basis of Bone Strength Development during Growth; The Effect of Exercise on Bone Mass and Structural Geometry during Growth; Evidence for an Interaction between Exercise and Nutrition for Improved Bone Health during Growth; Gene- Environment Interactions in the Skeletal Response to Nutrition and Exercise during Growth; The Effect of Energy Balance on Endocrine Function and Bone Health in Youth; Risk Factors for Fractures in Normally Active Children and Adolescents; Does Exercise during Growth Prevent Fractures in Later Life?; Lessons Learned from School-Based Skeletal Loading Intervention Trials: Putting Research into Practice. ASSESSMENT The editors have assembled the 51st' volume of Medicine and Sports Science as a necessary reading for exercise specialists, pediatricians, nutritionists, and/or any public health professionals interested in understanding and improving the health of bone in children and adults. The book provides an excellent source of recent information on the subject