FitGreyStrong Research Fact:
Research shows that as we get older skeletal muscle tissue and mass is lost because fast-twitch muscle fibres are atrophying or decreasing in size. This sarcopenia-induced alteration fundamentally affects muscular strength and functional physical capacity thereby making activities of daily living significantly more challenging, and in some cases, even dangerous.
The interplay of the ageing process and increasing sedentarism or gross physical inactivity combine to create the “perfect storm”. This ‘deadly’ combination of ageing and disuse synergistically accelerates morphological and functional declines in human skeletal muscle as evidenced by substantial reductions in muscle size, strength and power.
However, scientific research has demonstrated quite categorically that exercise and in particular, resistance training, attenuates and possibly even reverses some of this decline. Resistance training changes the trajectory of functional physical capacities by significantly enhancing strength due hypertropic changes in fast and slow-twitch muscle fibres hypothesised to be caused by myofibrillar accretion and substantial up-regulation of neural efficiencies via improved recruitment of skeletal muscle. Both these processes lead to greater neuromuscular force development.
The benefits of resistance training and the associated adaptations cannot be over-emphasised. I have seen such exercise in older people lead to dramatic improvements that are truly life-changing. Indeed, the experience of an individual undergoing such a transformation is often amazing to watch, with many not able to fully grasp or really comprehend the many practical benefits that come about following just a couple of months of training.
FitGreyStrong Advice:
If you don’t want to be one of those 60 or 70 year olds who can’t stand up from a chair, who gets anxious if there are stairs to climb, looks for the hand rail for support or is distrustful of negotiating uneven surfaces, then you need to seriously consider partaking in regular sessions of weight or resistance training.
FitGreyStrong recommends:
- Two sessions per week
- 30-40 minutes in duration not including warm-up
- Focus on working all major muscle groups primarily based on compound, multi-jointed non-machine orientated movements.
- 1-2 work sets
- 6-30 repetitions. The load is not important, the effort is. All loads in older adults have shown to be effective and produce comparable changes in muscle strength and hypertrophy, muscle endurance, bone density and physical function.
- Controlled tempo (3-4 seconds on the eccentric, 0-2 seconds on transition, 1-2 seconds concentric, 1 seconds pause then repeat; if you are not sure what this mean please contact me)
- 60-180 seconds rest between sets. If stronger or more experienced, try longer rests on high effort sets.
- At least 48 hours between sessions for recovery
- Consume 40 g whey protein post-exercise to maximise muscle protein synthesis rates (see here for an outline on the research supporting post-exercise protein)
Please note: Even if you’re fit and active with endurance activities such as running or cycling, it is important to remember that such exercise will not sufficiently stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibres due to the relative low muscle forces developed. The implications of this are that selective fast-twitch muscle atrophy and strength loss will still occur and functionality will be somewhat compromised. You should therefore still incorporate weight or resistance training into your lifestyle to reap the benefits that have been shown time and time again.
Want to know more about the research? Click here for the details.
For local Townsville residents interested in FitGreyStrong’s Exercise Physiology services or exercise programs designed to achieve the above-mentioned benefits or to enhance athletic performance, contact FitGreyStrong@outlook.com or phone 0499 846 955 for a confidential discussion.
For other Australian residents or oversees readers interested in our services, please see here.
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