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Heavy Resistance Training at Retirement Age Induces 4-Year Lasting Beneficial Effects in Muscle Strength
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
- This large study compared the long-term effects of heavy resistance training (supervised full-body workouts at 70%–80% of one repetition maximum) in older adults with those of moderate-intensity exercise (body weight and resistance bands) or no supervised exercise. Participants in the heavy resistance training group had significantly greater muscle strength and lean body mass than those in the other two groups 3 years after completing the 1-year program.
- Heavy resistance training in older adults may have long-term benefits for muscle strength and lean body mass even after cessation of the training program; these parameters are likely important in healthy aging.
abstract
This abstract is available on the publisher's site.
Access this abstract nowOBJECTIVES
Muscle function and size decline with age, but long-term effects of resistance training in older adults are largely unknown. Here, we explored the long-lasting (3 years) effects of 1 year of supervised resistance training with heavy loads.
METHODS
The LIve active Successful Ageing (LISA) study was a parallel group randomised controlled trial at a university hospital in Denmark. Older adults (n=451) at retirement age were randomised to 1 year of heavy resistance training (HRT), moderate-intensity training (MIT) or a non-exercising control group (CON). Primary outcome measure was leg extensor power. Secondary outcomes included maximal isometric quadriceps torque (isometric leg strength) and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)). Participants completed test procedures at baseline, following the 1-year intervention, and 2 and 4 years post study start.
RESULTS
At the 4-year assessment, 369 participants attended (mean age=71 years, 61% women). The main finding was that across all four time points, there was a significant group×time interaction in isometric leg strength (F6,1049=8.607, p<0.001, η2 =0.05). Individuals in HRT maintained baseline performance in isometric leg strength (Baseline: 149.7±51.5 Nm, 4 years: 151.5±51.1 Nm, t(1050)=1.005, p=1.00) while participants in CON and MIT decreased.
CONCLUSION
In well-functioning older adults at retirement age, 1 year of HRT may induce long-lasting beneficial effects by preserving muscle function.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT02123641.
Additional Info
Disclosure statements are available on the authors' profiles:
Heavy resistance training at retirement age induces 4-year lasting beneficial effects in muscle strength: a long-term follow-up of an RCT
BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2024 Aug 01;10(2)e001899, M Bloch-Ibenfeldt, A Theil Gates, K Karlog, N Demnitz, M Kjaer, CJ BoraxbekkFrom MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This is a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted over a 4-year period, initially involving 451 individuals; however, 369 participants remained for the final assessment. The participants were divided into three groups: heavy resistance training, moderate resistance training, and control group. The heavy resistance training group performed supervised exercises three times per week. The objective of the study objective was to assess muscle function and size decline with age after 1 year of supervised heavy resistance training in older healthy adults. The authors found that, in older retired adults,1 year of heavy resistance training induced long-lasting beneficial effects by preserving muscle function.
The study showed that heavy resistance training for extended periods has long-lasting effects on muscle mass and function. As stated by the authors, some studies have shown muscle strength to be a predictor of mortality in healthy populations. I was hopeful that the study would also track more direct clinical endpoints, such as fall risk, bone mineral density, morbidity, and mortality rates. However, the study does offer patients guidance, that even temporary resistance training programs can have long-lasting effects. Hopefully, future studies will further assess resistance training, muscle mass, and more specific clinical outcomes.