how can lifting weights help older adults?

Have you ever been told by a physician that lifting weights would increase “wear and tear” arthritis? Have you always thought that lifting anything more than a 5 pound weight was inappropriate for older adults? These are comments I frequently hear from patients when describing their beliefs about weightlifting as they age.

A 2023 study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism titled “Muscle Mass and Strength Gains Following Resistance Exercise Training in Older Adults 65-75 years and Older Adults Above 85 Years”(Reference 1) specifically wanted to see if people 85 year and older had a similar or different response to weightlifting compared to their younger 65-75 year old peers.

Group one of the study was seventeen 65-75 year old’s and group two was twelve people 85 or above. Importantly, none of these participants had done any weight lifting within the previous 6 months. Over 12 weeks, participants completed a supervised whole-body weightlifting program 3 times per week. Weights selected for each exercise were based off a percentage of the maximum capacity that person could do for a specific movement.

After completing the 12-week program that consisted of leg press, leg extension, chest press, lat-pull down, and seated row, here’s what happened:

Muscle Mass: Although quadricep muscle size was smaller in those 85+ at the beginning of the study, after 12 weeks, both groups significantly increased their quadricep size, and had statistically similar degrees of size increase. 65-75 year old’s increased their quadricep size by 10% on average, and those 85+ increased by 11% on average. Both groups also significantly increased their percentage of body mass that was lean/muscle compared to fat. Having a higher lean body mass reduces your risk of developing osteoporosis (Reference 2) and rheumatoid arthritis (Reference 3). Takeaway: with weight training, your muscles can increase in size at any age.

Strength: When comparing the maximum amount lifted in each exercise, a similar trend emerged compared to quadricep size. Although people 65-75 could lift more at the beginning of the study, all participants significantly increased their strength in all exercises, without a different in percentage of change between groups. Takeaway: you can get significantly stronger at any age.

Measures of Function: If you’ve ever had a therapy session or fitness class with Age On, you’ve likely been tested on some different measures of function such as tracking your walking speed or how fast you can stand up 5 times from a chair. These tests give us clues about your fall risk, and can show us where your strengths are and where you could improve. Before starting to weight train in this study, the average score of those 85+ was within the fall risk category, after 6 weeks and 12 weeks of weight training, the average score was below the fall risk category. Takeaway: weightlifting at any age can reduce your fall risk.

No matter your age or previous experience with weight training, you can reap the benefits of having increased muscle mass, strength, and physical function by using this powerful activity. If you’re intimated by the idea of lifting weights, you’re not alone! Despite these known benefits, less than 9% of older adults participate in muscle-strengthening activities as part of their leisure time.(Reference 4)

If you’re interested in learning how you can safely start to increase your strength and function through weight training, we can be your guide. Schedule an introduction to weight training class.

References:

1.     Marzuca-Nassr GN, Alegría-Molina A, SanMartín-Calísto Y, Artigas-Arias M, Huard N, Sapunar J, Salazar LA, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC. Muscle Mass and Strength Gains Following Resistance Exercise Training in Older Adults 65-75 Years and Older Adults Above 85 Years. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2023 Oct 24:1-9.

2.     Szulc P, Beck TJ, Marchand F, Delmas PD. Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with poor structural parameters of bone and impaired balance in elderly men--the MINOS study. J Bone Miner Res. 2005;20(5):721-729.

3.     Letarouilly JG, Flipo RM, Cortet B, Tournadre A, Paccou J. Body composition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a narrative literature review. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2021;13:1759720X211015006.

4.     Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, et al. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(8):2019-2052.