BENEFITS OF STRENGTH IN ADULTS (18-63 YEARS OLD)

HISTORY

The importance of strength has been recognized for centuries – not just for athletes, but also for regular, non-athletic adults. As early as 3600BC Chinese emperors actually required all adult subjects to exercise daily, and military recruits were additionally required to pass strength tests such as carrying heavy stones.

In more recent times, the fascination with strength could be found in the exploits of circus and vaudeville strong men of the late 1800s and early 1900s. In fact, several prominent strong men of the time actually published books on strength training. However, none of this was research-based and misinformation or myths about the dangers of strength training also existed. This dissuaded some individuals from lifting weights and also discouraged scientists from researching this field.

One of the first actual research papers on strength training was published in 1894. In what would be called a "Case Study" today, it involved two adult female subjects who completed 2 weeks of grip strength training with their right hand only. The study demonstrated the occurrence of what came to be called "cross-training" (ie. training only the right hand also produced strength gains in the left hand).

CURRENT AND ONGOING RESEARCH

Since that first paper, thousands of strength training studies have been published over dozens of research areas (Kraemer et al., 2017) with tens of thousands of participants and a wide variety of training modes – including the kind of resistance bands provided by MPR.

Since the 1970s the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) have issued and regularly updated a series of "Guidelines" and "Position Stands" on resistance training for all ages, further establishing this mode of exercise as beneficial to health and wellness.

Additionally the ACSM recently published a highly relevant paper entitled "The Coming of Age of Resistance Exercise as a Primary Form of Exercise for Health".

KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS

SAFETY

As well as the Guidelines and Recommendations cited above, a series of studies and surveys, including by the WHO, have consistently reported the safety of resistance training programs in healthy adults.

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS

A comprehensive review on Resistance Training for Health and Performance reported improvements in a range of factors involved in sports performance, not simply limited to strength and muscle mass increases. Such factors included vertical jump, speed, balance, coordination, and throwing velocity.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Major reviews of the literature have consistently associated resistance training with reduced risk of all-cause mortality, as well as for a range of major non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and lung cancer. Other reported benefits of resistance training include reduced blood pressure and improved sleep, as well as lower levels of depression and anxiety.

LIFESTYLE BENEFITS

The well documented effects of resistance training on strength, muscle mass and functional fitness, are also associated with beneficial effects on lifestyle daily activities including balance, fall risk, gait speed, stair climbing, rising from a chair, carrying groceries, etc. Resistance training is now recognized as a form of exercise that may be a necessity for healthy living.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Research has shown that resistance training is safe and beneficial for healthy adults. It builds a dependable baseline of strength and muscle mass; preserves and/or increases functional independence; reduces risk of chronic diseases and improves mental health.

At MPR, our whole approach is underpinned by this foundational research.