To thrive longer, get stronger

[Guest guest]

Washington Post

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Which is more important for healthy aging: exercises that work the heart and

lungs, or muscle- pumping strength training? Both are valuable, of course,

but many experts now say strength training may be the key to preventing

disability as you age. Declining muscle mass not only undermines your

physical strength but also contributes to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and

other chronic illnesses by slowing the body's metabolic rate, encouraging

the accumulation of fat.

This decline in muscle mass begins surprisingly early, usually by age 40.

And between ages 50 and 70, muscle strength can drop by 15 percent per

decade, even faster in later years. Although this loss was previously

considered an inevitable part of aging, strength training can halt much of

that decline and restore muscle power to the levels you had decades earlier.

No matter how old you are, your muscles will respond quickly to resistance

training, a form of strength training. In clinical trials, women and men in

their 80s and older who started resistance training gained strength as

rapidly as when younger adults did the same exercises. Plus, the latest

research suggests that regularly challenging your muscles may spur changes

at the cellular level that may slow some causes of aging.

A recent study of about 9,000 men ages 20 to 82, for example, found that

those with the greatest leg and arm strength were nearly 25 percent less

likely to die prematurely than those with the least strength. The benefits

of muscle strength stood out even after accounting for differences in

aerobic fitness, suggesting that muscle training provides benefits beyond

helping with heart and lung endurance.

Consumer Reports outlines why strength training is important. It:

Pumps up the heart. Strength training's cardiovascular benefits are so

pronounced that it has become a standard part of heart-attack

rehabilitation.

The benefits were shown in a recent trial where researchers randomly divided

72 men and women with heart disease into two groups. One did aerobic

exercises five days a week; the other did three days of aerobics plus two

days of strength training with dumbbells and elastic bands. Even though the

weightlifting groups did about 30 percent less aerobic training, they

reached the same level of aerobic fitness as the other group by the end of

the seven-month study. And strength training included some benefits for the

mixed-exercise group that weren't seen in the aerobics-only group:

significant reduction in body fat and substantial gains in muscle strength

and endurance.

Other clinical trials found resistance training may also reduce high blood

pressure.

Wards off diabetes. Aerobic training and resistance exercises improve the

body's ability to manage blood sugar. And exercisers may reap the most

benefit by combining the two, according to a study published this year. The

study looked at 136 people between ages 60 and 80 at high risk for Type 2

diabetes because of excess weight. After the study, researchers concluded

that resistance training helps by building muscle and reducing fat. This

shift may allow the body to control blood sugar more efficiently.

Builds bone. To maintain their density, bones need to be exercised. That

includes being stressed by weight or some other resistance. Walking, dancing

and other weight-bearing aerobic activities can build bone in the hips, for

example.

For other parts of the body, strength-training exercises appear to be most

effective. In cases where you want to prevent spinal fractures, try

exercises targeting the back and abdomen. Leg exercises are important

because they improve balance, preventing falls. But before starting an

exercise regimen, people with severe osteoporosis should consult a physical

therapist, who can recommend exercises that don't overly stress bones.

Prevents cancer. The study that linked muscle strength to improved overall

mortality in men also noted a reduced risk of death from cancer for those

with greater leg and arm strength. The researchers theorized that strength

training protects against malignant tumors by boosting metabolism, which may

prevent the buildup of fat.

Increases mobility. It's known that strength training makes it easier to

handle everyday tasks such as lugging groceries and climbing stairs. A

related but lesser-known benefit is that this training helps relieve joint

pain. In a recent clinical trial of weight training for people with knee

arthritis, for example, pain scores were cut nearly in half and walking

speed over uneven ground increased by nearly 50 percent after eight weeks.

No improvements were seen in the control group.

Resistance training strengthens ligaments, muscles and tendons, making

ankles, hips and knees more stable. It also reduces stress on the joints,

which may protect cartilage from age-related degeneration. Moreover,

pressure on the joints during resistance training may spur the growth of new

cartilage, thereby protecting hips and knees.

Copyright 2009 Consumers Union of United States Inc.

For further guidance, go to ConsumerReportsHealth.org. More-detailed

information -- including CR's ratings of prescription drugs, conditions,

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to subscribers to that site.

[Guest guest]

> Consumer Reports outlines why strength training is important. It:

Does anyone here subscribe to Consumer Reports? If so and if the original

article has any references to the articles in medical journals mentioned, I

would appreciate your posting them.

Bob