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While it’s important to have some level of fitness to maintain a good BMI, many forget that a good muscle mass through strength training is important for health. Only focusing on aerobic exercise could leave a body lacking lean muscle mass and the boost needed to burn calories more efficiently.
The higher muscle mass you have – or lean body mass – the longer your life could be, according to a recent study by Umea University in Sweden.
This study laid down the facts regarding exactly how beneficial having more muscle is to longevity.
[h=4]Method[/h]The study consisted of a total of 921 participants of both genders. All participants were between the ages of 65 and 89, and took an X-ray absorptiometric examination at the Sports Medicine Unit of Umea University.
Most participants were admitted for the x-ray thanks to osteoporosis suspicions. Abdominal, gynoid and total fat masses and lean body masses were measured.
Participants were tracked for a mean of 9.2 years for any mortality incidences.
[h=4]Results[/h]The initial tests were conducted in 1991. In 2009, the results were collected and was discovered that a total of 397 participants had passed away.
For women, the mortality rate was lower when their lean body mass was higher. Gynoid far appeared to have a protective effect on longevity.
Gynoid fat pertains to the fat commonly associated with the body of a female, such as on the hips and thighs.
High lean body mass also increased the longevity of men in the study. However, body fat showed a ‘U-shaped’ trend. There appears to be an optimum, middle ground as far as body fat for men goes. Those with very little body fat were just as likely to pass away as those with a large amount.
[h=4]Conclusion[/h]A high level of lean body mass can be attributed to longevity, in both male and female subjects. However, large fat mass can be protective to women (providing it is in the gynoid areas) and very low or very high fat mass reduces the life expectancy of men.
The results have been cited as conclusive.
[h=4]Our take[/h]It’s long been common knowledge that increased strength as we age is an important way of maintaining health. Building muscle not only protects joints from injury, but increases stamina and boosts the amount of calories lost at rest.
There is a clear benefit of strength training displayed in the results of this study, which again raises the question of whether or not it is preferable to cardio in the long term, as outlined here.
It is crucially important to define your end goals before you launch into a training regime thinking that you can improve absolutely everything. Endurance will probably have to be secondary to strength and power, but it is reassuring to see that strength training, too, can have a positive effect on our life expectancy.
[h=4]References[/h]
While it’s important to have some level of fitness to maintain a good BMI, many forget that a good muscle mass through strength training is important for health. Only focusing on aerobic exercise could leave a body lacking lean muscle mass and the boost needed to burn calories more efficiently.
The higher muscle mass you have – or lean body mass – the longer your life could be, according to a recent study by Umea University in Sweden.
This study laid down the facts regarding exactly how beneficial having more muscle is to longevity.
[h=4]Method[/h]The study consisted of a total of 921 participants of both genders. All participants were between the ages of 65 and 89, and took an X-ray absorptiometric examination at the Sports Medicine Unit of Umea University.
Most participants were admitted for the x-ray thanks to osteoporosis suspicions. Abdominal, gynoid and total fat masses and lean body masses were measured.
Participants were tracked for a mean of 9.2 years for any mortality incidences.
[h=4]Results[/h]The initial tests were conducted in 1991. In 2009, the results were collected and was discovered that a total of 397 participants had passed away.
For women, the mortality rate was lower when their lean body mass was higher. Gynoid far appeared to have a protective effect on longevity.
Gynoid fat pertains to the fat commonly associated with the body of a female, such as on the hips and thighs.
High lean body mass also increased the longevity of men in the study. However, body fat showed a ‘U-shaped’ trend. There appears to be an optimum, middle ground as far as body fat for men goes. Those with very little body fat were just as likely to pass away as those with a large amount.
[h=4]Conclusion[/h]A high level of lean body mass can be attributed to longevity, in both male and female subjects. However, large fat mass can be protective to women (providing it is in the gynoid areas) and very low or very high fat mass reduces the life expectancy of men.
The results have been cited as conclusive.
[h=4]Our take[/h]It’s long been common knowledge that increased strength as we age is an important way of maintaining health. Building muscle not only protects joints from injury, but increases stamina and boosts the amount of calories lost at rest.
There is a clear benefit of strength training displayed in the results of this study, which again raises the question of whether or not it is preferable to cardio in the long term, as outlined here.
It is crucially important to define your end goals before you launch into a training regime thinking that you can improve absolutely everything. Endurance will probably have to be secondary to strength and power, but it is reassuring to see that strength training, too, can have a positive effect on our life expectancy.
[h=4]References[/h]
- Toss F, Wiklund P, Nordström P, Nordström A. Body composition and mortality risk in later life (2012)
