In 2020, gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky swam across an Olympic pool with a glass of chocolate milk on top of her head. While that proved she has astounding muscle control, it didn't do much for her calcium intake, which is best accomplished by eating calcium-rich foods.

There are three problems with getting calcium from supplements:

1. Calcium taken in through supplements isn't processed in the body like calcium in natural food sources.

2. The data on calcium supplements fortifying bone strength is not ironclad. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, "There is a growing body of evidence that suggests no health benefit, or even worse, that calcium supplements may be harmful."

3. Studies show high doses of calcium supplements may increase the risk of colon polyps (a potential cancer risk), encourage kidney stones, and may cause plaque buildup, increasing the risk for heart attack.

You can get bone-building, heart-friendly calcium from low or non-fat dairy such as yogurt; canned sardines and salmon with bones; almonds; oranges, dried figs; soybeans and garbanzos, white and pinto beans; and leafy green vegetables such as spinach.

Plant foods have bioavailable calcium that is comparable to dairy. One cup of cooked bok choy has almost as much bioavailable calcium as one cup of milk.

When you combine dietary calcium with exercises such as jumping on a hard surface (40 jumps a day is all it takes), walking, and strength-building, you're defending yourself from osteoporosis — without the potential risks associated with calcium supplements.