The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dietary protein and exercise on bone mineral density and bone mineral content of growing male rats. Forty male, Sprague-Dawley rats(age 21 days) were assigned to four groups that underwent 9 weeks of experimental treatment. Animals were assigned to one of two exercise treatments (treadmill running or sedentary). The exercise and nonexercise group were fed a diet containing casein or soy with rich isoflavones (3.4mg/g protein). The exercise group ran on a rodent treadmill(speed of 15m/min for 30min) three days per week during the 9-week study period. All rats were fed an experimental diet and deionized water ad libitum for 9 weeks. Total bone mineral density (BMD), total bone mineral content (BMC), total body calcium, spine BMD and BMC, and femur BMD and BMC were determined by using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (FIXI-mus, GE Lunar Radiation Cooperation, Madison, WI, USA). The soy diet group appears to have a significantly higher total BMD/weight and total BMC/ weight, spine BMD/weight, spine BMC/weight, femur BMD/weight and femur BMC/weight compared to the casein group in nonexercise and exercise. The exercise group had significantly greater total BMD/weight and BMC/ weight, spine BMD/weight and BMC/weight, femur BMD/weight and BMC/weight compared to the nonexercise group when the protein source was casein. The exercise combined soy group had significantly greater total BMD/weight and BMC/weight, spine BMD/weight and BMC/weight, femur BMD/weight and BMC/weight, compared to the exercise combined casein group. The results indicate that exercise had a positive influence on bone mineral density and bone mineral content and soy significantly affect on bone mineral density and bone mineral content for the 9 weeks experimental period. It can be concluded that exercise combined with a soy diet is most beneficial for acquisition of spine bone mineral density in young growing male rats. This convincing evidence suggests that a change in life style such as increasing exercise and consumption of soy protein is a practical strategy for significantly reducing the incidence of osteoporosis.