This study examined the effect of various types of exercise on bone formation and resorption in rat. Five-week-old male Sprague-Daweley rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups with 10 animals in each; Control, Treadmill, Swimming, Resistance. The exercise regimen consisted of treadmill running at 25m/min, 1 hr per day, 5 days a week, and swimming for 1 hr per day, 5 days a week. Resistant exercise type with weight-bearing was designed to extend lower and upper extremities in order to feed the diet and water. Food intake showed no significant difference among groups but body weight gain and food efficiency were significantly increased in Control group as compared with exercise groups. Femur and tibia length and weight were higher in Control group and the density of therm tended to be higher in exercise groups than Control group, but this difference was not statistically significant. The breaking force of femur was the highest in Swimming group and tibia was the highest in Resistance group among groups, while there was no signigicant difference among the exercise groups. The calcium content of femur was significantly increased in Resistance group than the other groups. Calcium intake and urinary calcium showed no significant difference among groups, while calcium absorption and retention were significantly higher in exercise group than Control group. In conclusion, exercise training enhanced bone formation due to the positive effect on metabolism of calcium and bone which were different according to the types of exercise. (Korean J Nutrition 34(5) : 541∼546, 2001)