Building Muscle at Any Age : Study Reveals Astonishing Results

Study Overview

• Research Focus: Examined muscle tissue building in elderly populations.

• Published In: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Participants

• Cohorts Involved:

  • Older Adults Group: 17 adults aged 65 to 75.

  • Elderly Group: 12 adults aged 85 and older, some in their '90s.

Methodology

• Intervention: 12 weeks of resistance training only.

• No Changes: Participants did not alter diet, supplements, or medications during the study.

Measurements

• Assessment Points:

  • Before the start of the training.

  • 6 weeks into the training.

  • At the end of the 12 weeks.

• Metrics Measured:

  • Muscle size or volume.

  • Muscle efficiency or strength (weight lifting ability).

Results

• Body Composition Changes:

  • Both groups experienced a slight reduction in whole body fat mass.

  • Improvement in whole body lean mass, especially in appendicular lean mass (arms and legs).

• Muscle Performance:

  • Both muscle volume and strength improved in all participants.

  • Improvements were similar between both age groups despite the initial difference in fitness levels.

• Quadriceps Improvement:

  • 85-plus age group saw equal or slightly better improvements in quadriceps compared to the 65 to 75 age group.

Conclusions

• Key Findings:

  • Possible to gain muscle and enhance strength at any age.

  • Improvement potential in muscle growth and strength remains consistent across ages.