What is our capacity to improve muscular strength and muscle mass as we age, even into our 9th decade of life?
A classic study published in JAMA provides a powerful answer.
Researchers took a group of nine individuals in their 90s who had been living in a long-term care facility for an average of 3.5 years and put them through an 8-week high-intensity progressive strength training program.
The program was simple.
Three times per week, participants performed single-leg knee extensions for 3 sets of 8 repetitions at 80% of their one-repetition maximum.
Every two weeks, their 1-RM was retested and the resistance was adjusted to ensure they continued training at the appropriate intensity.
The results were remarkable.
After just 8 weeks, the group improved their strength by an average of 174%. The average amount of weight lifted increased from 17 pounds to 45 pounds.
But perhaps even more importantly, those improvements in strength carried over into everyday life.
Some participants went from needing assistance to stand up from a chair to standing independently. Others who required a cane or other walking aid at the beginning of the study no longer needed one by the end of the program.
Then came the other side of the equation.
Once the study ended, all participants returned to their previous sedentary lifestyle. Just 4 weeks later, they had lost an average of 32% of the maximum strength they had gained.
A powerful reminder of the old saying:
If you don’t use it, you lose it.
The ability to build strength, muscle, and physical capacity does not suddenly disappear because we reach a certain age.
We know that exercise can create meaningful change throughout the lifespan. The key is finding an appropriate starting point, progressively challenging the body, and most importantly, creating a sustainable habit that keeps us moving forward.
It’s never too late to get stronger.
Study discussed:
Fiatarone MA, et al. High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: Effects on skeletal muscle. JAMA. 1990;263:3029–3034.
