Tag Archives: exercise physiologist

Endurance, Exercise Physiology, Strength, Weight/Fat loss, Mobility

12 Reasons Why Older Adults Need To Do Resistance Training Exercise: Part 2

March 15, 2024 seanwilso 4 Comments

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In part 1 of “12 reasons why older adults need to do resistance training exercise” I outlined some of the benefits to health that have been shown to occur as a result of partaking in regular resistance training exercise. The scientific evidence supporting the inclusion of resistance training as part of a healthy lifestyle is now indisputable. Whilst improvement of health is an obvious goal of many older athletes, it is the enhancement of sports performance that drives many in a quest to remain competitive, both against fellow competitors, but also – somewhat egocentrically – against their younger self. Even if you aren’t an elite masters athlete these benefits as outlined below can be truly life-changing.

Resistance training exercise remains an integral component of programs of most elite sportspeople. Increased maximal strength and power developed through the application of progressive resistance training has been shown to improve performance above and beyond that achieved by limiting training to sports specific training. This is now recognised by sports scientists, exercise physiologists, strength & conditioning experts and coaches.

strength training for over 60 female — Resistance Training Improves Older Athletes Performance (Picture: Pixabay)

Of particular note for older athletes is that the performance benefits may be even greater than that of younger elite athletes. One of the hallmark changes to occur with age is the progressive loss of strength with significant atrophy or loss of skeletal muscle playing a significant role. This fundamental biological change that occurs with ageing manifests in a gradual deterioration of physical function and performance.

However, there is compelling evidence that the trajectory of this decline is modifiable and can be attenuated by lifestyle factors. The data to support regular exercise as a key factor in preserving skeletal muscle and physical function is overwhelming. Resistance training is one of the very best methods currently available for older adults and masters athletes to stimulate the physiological processes required to increase myofibrillar protein synthesis rates, skeletal muscle hypertrophy and muscular strength. These skeletal muscle adaptations lie at the core of why this type of exercise improves the functional performance of older adults and athletic performance of masters athletes.

The following 6 compelling reasons explain why resistance exercise should be included in all training programs of older adults where enhanced performance – for activities of daily living or sporting – are desired.

Enhance skeletal health. Stronger bones can handle greater training loads and transfer muscular forces more effectively and efficiently. Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases as we age however this can be slowed by regular physical activity and appropriate nutrition. Risk of musculoskeletal injury is increased when bone strength is decreased with age, especially during falls that can cause catastrophic consequences for some.

Resistance training has been shown to be quite a potent stimulus for improving bone mineral density. Some evidence suggests that plyometric-type or jumping activities also provide an excellent training method to stimulate significant and positive bone adaptation which yields increased BMD and therefore stronger bones.

Masters cyclists as a group are unfortunately at an elevated risk of reduced BMD (weaker bones) due to the non-weight bearing nature of cycling. It is strongly recommended that all masters cyclists – in fact, all cyclists – should perform adjunctive resistance exercise in their training program (see links 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5).

Maintain or increase lean body mass (skeletal muscle). Remember muscle is critical to both speed and endurance performance. From age 50 onwards muscle loss accelerates but there is a substantial amount of evidence that this is exacerbated by increased sedentarism (inactivity). Resistance training attenuates muscle mass loss.

Ageing is accompanied by reduced muscle mass and this has been mainly attributed to type II muscle fibre atrophy or reduction in size. It is unlikely that there is substantial muscle fibre loss however this remains to be elucidated. In older adults that have demonstrated substantial lean body mass loss and type II muscle fibre atrophy, prolonged resistance training has demonstrated significant increased muscle mass and this was shown to occur exclusively in type II muscle fibres. Nonetheless, some research has shown both type I and type II muscle fibre hypertrophy so more data is required to ascertain whether such things as age, gender, training status and training program parameters, affect muscle fibre changes and responsiveness to resistance training exercise (see links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Increased muscular strength, power and speed. Research investigating the effects of progressive resistance training programs demonstrate that muscle strength, power and speed improve, and in many case, quite impressively. In fact, even in nonagenarians, skeletal muscle strength and functional mobility assessed by a gait velocity test improved dramatically (>170% and 48% increase, respectively) after only 8 weeks of resistance training.

As mentioned above, the significant atrophy that occurs with age in fast-twitch type II muscle fibres, directly impacts performance of activities that require speed. Resistance training can reverse some of this decline, restore some of the lost contractile protein of these critical muscle fibres, increase maximum skeletal muscle strength and therefore elicit substantial improvements in movement speed of various specific sporting skills.

Older athletes that are avoiding or not adjusting their program to allow a little time to perform some resistance training exercise are missing out on some incredible benefits (see links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Lose body fat and get leaner. As outlined above, skeletal muscle mass decreases significantly from age 50 with concomitant decreases in resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is the largest component of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) accounting for 60-80%. Whilst reductions in muscle mass account for a significant proportion of the accommodating changes in RMR, decreasing organ mass and decreases to specific metabolic rates of individual tissues also contribute to the decrease in RMR.

These age-related changes in RMR reduce TDEE. This may contribute to increased adiposity as we grow older given that energy intake to maintain body mass decreases proportionally to the degree of reduction in RMR and TDEE. In other words, if dietary habits and energy intake remains constant over time but RMR and TDEE decrease subsequent to the loss of skeletal muscle, positive energy balance may ensue and fat mass may therefore naturally increase.

Resistance training is well known for stimulating muscle hypertrophy or increasing skeletal muscle mass and has been shown to elicit reductions in fat mass in obesity during ad libitum diets. In contrast, aerobic exercise-induced weight loss consistently leads to reductions in lean body mass and RMR which may make the propensity of rebound fat gain more likely.

Inclusion of resistance training exercise in programs of older athletes or non-athletes doesn’t guarantee that there will be body fat loss (nutrition and diet obviously play a key role) but it certainly makes weight management easier and supports weight loss efforts if modifying the diet in an attempt to get leaner. Much of the research that has investigated the utility of resistance training in older adults demonstrates that it is a very effective fat loss strategy when performed with other lifestyle-based interventions aimed at improving physical function and body composition (see links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Improves endurance. Resistance training that is designed to increase muscle strength and power has been shown to improve endurance performance. More evidence exists to support such exercise in younger adult athletes as there has been limited research exclusively focused on older athletes.

Nonetheless, the research completed to date is strongly suggestive that resistance training enhances endurance in older athletes and non-athletes. A study conducted in 2010 demonstrated that strength training consisting of 10 sets of 10 repetitions of 1RM load, 3 minutes rest between each set, 3 times/week, increased both knee extensor maximal voluntary contraction torque and cycling efficiency. It is reasonable to postulate that had they utilised a program that incorporated more compound, complex, multi-jointed exercises such as squats and deadlifts – such that all major lower body muscle groups were strengthened – significantly greater cycling economical benefit would have been elicited.

When masters endurance runners were studied after following a resistance training program designed to increase maximal strength (4 sets of 3-4 repetitions at 85-90% of 1RM, two times per week), a significant improvement in running economy at marathon pace (6.1%) and dynamic leg strength (16.3%) was achieved.

It is proposed that the following training adaptations may facilitate endurance performance improvement:

the delayed use of the fast-twitch type II muscle fibers;
enhanced neuromuscular efficiency;
increased proportion of more fatigue-resistant fast-twitch type IIa fibres;
improved musculo-tendinous stiffness (see links 1, 2, 3).

Reduce injury risk. Regularly performed resistance exercise can minimize the musculoskeletal alterations that occur during ageing. It may also contribute to the health and well-being of the older population.

There is strong evidence that suggests such exercise can prevent and control the development of several chronic musculoskeletal diseases. Improvement of physical fitness, function, and independence in older people, plus successful management of musculoskeletal disorders, results in dramatic improvements in quality of life.

Stronger muscles, bones, connective tissue, ligaments and tendons mean our limbs and joints are more able to handle the rigours of training, competing and activities of daily living (see links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

In conclusion, based on the 12 reasons that I have explored which demonstrate profound benefits to both the health, functional and sporting performance of older athletes and non-athletes, resistance training is a must-do and should be a pivotal component of any exercise program.

To read “12 reasons why older adults need to do resistance training exercise: part 1” that explores the health-related benefits in older adults see here.

For local Townsville residents interested in FitGreyStrong’s Exercise Physiology services or exercise programs designed to achieve the 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.

Disclaimer: All contents of the FitGreyStrong website/blog are provided for information and education purposes only. Those interested in making changes to their exercise, lifestyle, dietary, supplement or medication regimens should consult a relevantly qualified and competent health care professional. Those who decide to apply or implement any of the information, advice, and/or recommendations on this website do so knowingly and at their own risk. The owner and any contributors to this site accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any harm caused, real or imagined, from the use or distribution of information found at FitGreyStrong. Please leave this site immediately if you, the reader, find any of these conditions not acceptable.

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Endurance, Exercise Physiology, Strength, Weight/Fat loss, Mobility

12 Reasons Why Older Adults Need To Do Resistance Training Exercise: Part 1

April 2, 2023 seanwilso 3 Comments

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What are they:

Increases longevity and improves quality of life
Helps manage hypertension and decreases heart disease
Enhances sleep quality and quantity
Prevents/treats type 2 diabetes & decreases inflammation
Prevents cognitive decline & neurodegenerative disease
Improves mental health
Enhances skeletal health
Maintains or increases lean body mass (muscle)
Increases strength, power, speed and physical function
Reduces body fat and help maintain body fat loss
Improves endurance performance
Reduces injury risk

Resistance or weight training is a critical component of training programs of most elite athletes irrespective of the sport. The benefits of resistance training – to increase maximal muscle strength and neuromuscular power – has long been recognised by most strength and conditioning experts, coaches and sport scientists as key to sporting performance. Logic would dictate therefore that if elite athletes are doing concurrent training to improve sport specific performance, masters athletes may also reap huge benefits too. There is now compelling evidence to suggest that resistance training can potentially augment athleticism of masters athletes well beyond that achieved by confining training to sports specific training. Furthermore, these significant benefits are not just limited to sprint, speed or power orientated sports but endurance performance may also be enhanced.

However, before I address the athletic performance benefits of resistance training for older athletes and functional enhancement such exercise has in older non-athletes (these will be outlined in part 2), I want to discuss the significant and sometimes life-changing health benefits that have been well documented in research conducted over the last 20 years. There is a great deal of data now to support the use of resistance training to help treat and manage a number of chronic diseases that become more prevalent as we get older. The following outlines 6 key reasons why resistance training exercise should be included in all programs of older athletes and exercise programs of older non-athletes.

strength training for over 50 — Resistance Training Reduces The Risk Of Death

Reduce the risk of death. Evidence continues to accumulate to show that skeletal muscle strength is strongly predictive of longevity. Maximum muscle force in men aged 20-80 is independently and inversely associated with all-cause mortality. Over the age of 60 years, all cause and cancer-associated mortality is twice as likely in individuals with low compared to high skeletal muscle strength. Older adults over 15 years who reported twice/weekly strength training had 46% lower odds of all-cause mortality than those who did not. Resistance training when performed regularly is one of the best methods to increase skeletal muscle strength (see links 1, 2, 3, 4). A recent assessment of the research that has been conducted in older adults showed that resistance training substantially improved health-related quality of life. In other words, resistance training and getting stronger has a direct impact on our perception of how meaningful, manageable and comprehensible life is, and as such, significantly greater promotion of this type of activity is warranted (see here).

Helps manage hypertension and decrease heart disease. High blood pressure can still affect masters athletes and resistance training when performed in conjunction with aerobic or endurance training has been shown to have a positive effect and reduce blood pressure. However, data to support resistance training as a stand alone practice is mixed with some studies suggesting improvement in systolic and diastolic blood pressure versus other research that has shown such exercise can increase arterial stiffness. Evidence tends to point to concurrent exercise (resistance training combined with aerobic exercise) as being the most effective for reducing the risk of heart disease (see links 1, 2, 3, 4).

Improves sleep quality and quantity. Problems with sleep are common with advancing years and occur in over half of adults age 65 and older. It has been estimated that insomnia affects about a third of the older population. The evidence to date suggests that poor sleep hygiene directly impacts and worsens many aspects of health including such things as mental health, obesity, heart disease, cognition, memory, executive function, metabolic disturbance and falls to name just a few.

Overall quality of life is thus dramatically reduced. Other factors associated with ageing, such as disease, changes in environment, or concurrent age-related processes also may contribute to problems of sleep. Sleep disturbance and long sleep duration, but not short sleep duration, have been shown to be associated with increases in markers of systemic inflammation. Research has shown that both sleep quality and quantity is improved with increased levels of exercise. Resistance training alone appears to positively impact sleep quality but more data is required to confirm that sleep quantity is equally improved (see links 1, 2, 3).

Prevent/treat type 2 diabetes & decrease inflammation. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the fastest growing non-communicable diseases worldwide and occurs much more frequently in those that are overweight and obese. However, impaired blood glucose metabolism, one of the hallmarks of T2DM, is an increasingly common problem in those that are not overweight and have relatively normal BMI. A poor and overindulgent diet – high in things like sugar, trans-fats, processed foods, junk foods and that are low in fish (omega-3 fatty acids), vegetables, fruit, fibre and high quality protein – combined with long-term sedentarism has been postulated as playing a leading causative role. Such a combination causes the development of chronic positive energy balance whereby excess energy disposal and adipose storage triggers a significant oxidative pro-inflammatory response referred to as metabolic inflammation.

In obesity, expanding adipose tissue attracts immune cells creating an inflammatory environment within this fatty acid storage organ. Skeletal muscle is the predominant site of insulin-mediated glucose uptake and insulin resistance is considered the primary defect that is evident years before the development of T2DM. Resistance training has consistently been shown to improve the ability of the skeletal muscles to take up and metabolise blood glucose (sugar) and is therefore an important strategy in managing T2DM. Finally, there is now scientific data to show that disorders that arise and are linked to inflammation (e.g. Insulin resistance, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and many more), can be improved or mitigated with resistance training and exercise (see links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

strength training for over 50 female — Resistance Training Enhances Brain Health

Prevent cognitive decline & neurodegenerative disease Recent research has shown that long-term resistance training in older women promotes executive function, memory, reduced cortical white matter atrophy and increased peak muscle power. Such findings are very exciting as they suggest that exercise and resistance training can modify brain neuroplasticity and help improve brain function. The current thinking is that resistance and physical exercise represents a promising nonpharmaceutical intervention to prevent age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers. There is some evidence that the mechanisms behind these alterations may be related to increased levels of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and IGF-1. BDNF-induced neuroplasticity is speculated to be facilitated by physical exercise but conclusive evidence supporting this mechanism of action has not yet been established (see links 1, 2, 3, 4).

Improved mental health. There is substantial evidence to demonstrate that resistance training and exercise more generally has a very dramatic and potent effect on improving mental health and treating those that suffer from mental health disorders. For example, research has shown that high-intensity resistance training is more effective than low-intensity resistance training or standard care by a GP in the treatment of depression in older patients. Resistance exercise has also be shown to reduce anxiety, slow the progression of white matter lesions in older women, improve symptomatology and disease severity in severe mental illness and essentially improve overall quality of life and general mental health (see links 1, 2, 3).

To finish up I cannot emphasise enough just how important resistance training exercise is for all older adults including masters athletes. The reasons mentioned above are only some of the many that support resistance training exercise as an essential ingredient of a healthy lifestyle and confirm current recommendations for people to partake in a minimum of 2 resistance training sessions per week.

To read part 2 of “12 reasons why older adults need to do resistance training exercise” which discusses the performance-enhancing benefits for older athletes and the incredible functional improvements that can be achieved in older non-athletes, see here.

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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Exercise Physiology

FitGreyStrong Services

May 24, 2019 seanwilso Leave a comment

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FitGreyStrong (FGS) provides consultative expertise based on the latest scientific evidence for:

Exercise Physiology services
Strength & Conditioning programs
Personal Training sessions

There are a variety of exercise programs available to cater to a wide range of specific individual needs and considerations. Improvements in health, fitness, strength, physical function, quality of life whilst reducing the chances of, or mitigating the worsening of chronic disease/illness, are at the cornerstone of our interventions.

Exercise physiology, Strength & Conditioning, Townsville #health #exercise #ageing — Exercise can help so many things

For those living in Townsville and seeking private services, please contact us for more information on how to get started. As a general guide, our fees for services are charged pro-rata (GST inclusive) and would involve an initial consultation, functional and physical fitness assessment, design of a customised individual program, and personal supervised training sessions as determined to suit the needs/wants/medical and health considerations of the individual.

An initial consultation will take between 30-60 minutes and is largely determined by how complex the case is.
Prior to an initial consultation some forms that are downloadable are required to be filled out which provide background to how best help someone (to access these forms click here). In most cases, only forms 1, 2 and 4 need completing.
Following an initial consultation, a functional and physical fitness assessment would be booked and completed which would take between 30-60 minutes.
With this information a customised individual program is then constructed which takes between 45 minutes to 3 hours to devise and finalise. A number of factors influence the length of time that a program takes to put together but 90 minutes is the average time for this to be completed.
Following the initial consultation, FGS will advise how long the program design component will take and base our quote off this assessment.
The last phase is the practical aspect where 1 hour is allocated to be shown through the program and the FITT principles (program parameters of frequency, intensity, time, type etc) explained.
From here there is then the option of doing this as a home-based program or at a facility of your choosing (some people already have a gym that they frequent) and/or doing personal supervised training sessions (30, 45 or 60 minutes) every week, fortnight or at a frequency deemed appropriate and in line with the personal objectives that have been discussed.
If there is the need to have closer supervision during the first few months, FGS will advise and recommend as needed.

Health rebates, such as Medicare, workers compensation (WorkCover) and private health funds are available for those that qualify. For further information regarding these please contact us directly or discuss further with your GP or Specialist.

For all those living in other Australia states or living outside Australia please see here or to discuss how to get started, please contact FitGreyStrong via the ‘contact us’ form on the home page or you can email FitGreyStrong@outlook.com

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