Loss of Lean Body Mass
With age comes a loss of lean body mass and strength. In fact, adults lose an average of six pounds of lean body mass each decade of life after early adulthood. It doesn’t have to be that way. Resistance training reduces the loss of muscle mass and strength. In fact, resistance training becomes MORE important with age to help you stay functional. About one in four people over the age of 70 have difficulty walking, are unable to do housework or climb a flight of stairs. In most cases, this is due to sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass.
The good news? Research clearly shows you can increase strength and boost lean body mass even at an advanced age, as late as the ninth decade of life. Studies involving nursing home residents, some in wheelchairs, prove this. Why wait until you’re in a nursing home to try to recover lost muscle function? Make resistance training a part of your lifelong anti-aging plan.
Decline in Resting Metabolic Rate
Resting metabolic rate slows with age. How much? About 1 to 2% per decade. This means the average person needs to eat about 150 fewer calories or burn 150 more each decade to avoid gaining weight. Some of this reduction in energy expenditure is due to loss of lean body mass. There is a bright spot. Research shows that strength training boosts resting metabolic rate by as much as 7%, independent of age and sex. Plus, as you know, muscle is more metabolically active so it’s important to hang on to it. Resistance training helps you do that.
Increase in Body Fat
Body fat increases with age, partially due to loss of muscle mass. When you lose muscle mass your metabolic rate slows. It’s also due to a reduction in physical activity, especially higher intensity exercise that has the greatest after-burn benefits. Most disturbing is an increase in visceral fat, deep abdominal fat, that increases with age. This raises the risk of health problems like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. One explanation for the increase in visceral fat many people experience with age is a decline in insulin sensitivity. Sensitivity to insulin decreases over time. This makes it easier to store fat, especially in the abdominal region. Resistance training helps here too. Research shows that high load, lower repetition strength training as well as high volume, low load muscular endurance training improves insulin sensitivity.
Loss of Bone Mass
Not only do you lose muscle mass with age, but you also lose bone, especially women after menopause. When you resistance train, muscles pull on bones. With enough force, the stress causes new bone to form to give the bone extra protection against future stress. To get the full benefits, you need to lift heavy enough, a weight you can lift no more than eight to ten times. Muscle endurance workouts don’t subject muscles to enough force to cause the bone to grow. Consider this too. If the bone isn’t being stressed, bone resorption is taking place. So, use or lose it. Some of the best exercises for boosting bone density are squats, lunges, push-ups, and pull-ups. High-impact cardio is also effective for improving bone density.
Physical Function
Building strength and lean body mass improves overall physical function as we age. Strength and power are two key factors that determine how well we perform in everyday life, how well we get around and carry out daily activities. At the other end of the spectrum, loss of muscle mass and strength leads to frailty and an increased risk of falls. It’s also linked with greater mortality. Research clearly shows that resistance training improves physical function in older adults. Why wait? Make resistance training a regular habit now.
The Bottom Line?
Aerobic exercise is good for your heart, but don’t neglect resistance training. Strong muscles and lean body mass helps you function at a higher level as you age and makes it easier to control your weight due to its effects on metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity. The take-home message? Resistance training just might be the best anti-aging prescription of all.
References:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 60(2): 167-175, August 1994.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31(1): 25- 30, January 1999.
Journal of the American Senior Fitness Association 1-8, www.seniorfitness.net, 2000.
J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Feb;26(2):327-34.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Apr;33(4):532-41.
The University of New Mexico. “Resistance Training and Bone Mass”
J Strength Cond Res. 2009 December; 23(9): 2627–2637.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Exercise During Middle Age Protects Against Muscle Loss Later
Lack of Exercise Is Even More Harmful to Your Muscles as You Get Older
Menopause and Belly Fat: Why Your Waistline Is Expanding and What You Can Do About It
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
STS Strength 90 Day Workout Program
All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
Total Body Workouts
Lower Body Workouts
Upper Body Workouts