Resistance Training is Medicine

TLDR

Inactive adults lose 3–8% of muscle mass each decade, lowering resting metabolic rate and increasing fat. Ten weeks of resistance training raises lean mass, boosts resting metabolic rate, cuts fat, and improves physical performance, cognition, self‑esteem, insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular markers, bone density, and reduces back pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia symptoms while reversing age‑related muscle changes.

Abstract

Inactive adults experience a 3% to 8% loss of muscle mass per decade, accompanied by resting metabolic rate reduction and fat accumulation. Ten weeks of resistance training may increase lean weight by 1.4 kg, increase resting metabolic rate by 7%, and reduce fat weight by 1.8 kg. Benefits of resistance training include improved physical performance, movement control, walking speed, functional independence, cognitive abilities, and self-esteem. Resistance training may assist prevention and management of type 2 diabetes by decreasing visceral fat, reducing HbA1c, increasing the density of glucose transporter type 4, and improving insulin sensitivity. Resistance training may enhance cardiovascular health, by reducing resting blood pressure, decreasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Resistance training may promote bone development, with studies showing 1% to 3% increase in bone mineral density. Resistance training may be effective for reducing low back pain and easing discomfort associated with arthritis and fibromyalgia and has been shown to reverse specific aging factors in skeletal muscle.