Playing football for a few hours per week can counter the bone-weakening side-effects of prostate cancer treatment, according to University of Copenhagen scientists.

A study of 57 men aged between 43 and 76, all being treated for the condition, found that playing the sport regularly increased muscular strength and bone density despite the men becoming “decalcified” following anti-hormone treatment.

The anti-hormone treatment is designed to battle the cancer by lowering the level of testosterone, although it makes bones brittle in the process.

Participants were split into two groups after drawing lots – a soccer training group and a control group. The former trained 2-3 times per week for 32 weeks, for 45 to 60 minutes at a time. Blood sampling, functional tests and DXA (bone density) scanning took place before starting, as well as after 12 and 32 weeks.

The tests found that individuals in the soccer training group increased bone material density by 1-2 per cent at the hip and upper part of thigh bone after 32 weeks – making their bones the “equivalent of 2-4 years younger” than those of the control group.

During the study, players’ movements were tracked with GPS, which revealed that football movements, such as acceleration and deceleration, were better for bones than simples movements such as jumping on and off a step bench.

The study was part of a PhD thesis defended by Jacob Uth, a physiotherapist at the University Hospitals Centre for Health Research (UCSF) at the University of Copenhagen. It was also published as two articles in Osteoporosis International and the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

“Soccer training counters many side-effects of the treatment. It is impressive to see such big improvements in both muscular strength and bone density, despite the anti-androgen (testosterone) treatment,” said professor Peter Krustrup, Uth’s supervisor at the university.