PERSONAL HEALTH : Pump Iron to Reverse Effects of Age, New Studies Suggest
The young bodybuilder, with rippling muscles so shiny you could see yourself, might soon be joined at the gym by wimpier-looking workout buddies, as experts push the health benefits of pumping some iron.
Pumping iron does much more than produce impressive biceps, according to various studies. Even better, you don’t have to work out as intensely as a professional body-builder.
Bodybuilding, also called strength training, can arrest--or even reverse--the aging process, studies suggest.
It can also reduce the risk of colon cancer and diabetes, other recent studies have found.
Strength training--improving muscles by lifting hand-held weights or free weights or using weight machines--can benefit adults of any age, even those 90-plus, says William Evans, chief of the human physiology lab at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
Strength training is the single most critical step to retard the aging process, he insists.
What’s the secret power of strength training?
Maintaining muscle mass makes it possible to ward off changes associated with age, including reduced metabolic rate, reduced bone mass and increased body fat, Evans says. “Changes in muscle mass drive many of the other changes we associate with aging.
“If in fact we can maintain or even increase muscle mass, many of these things we called ‘biomarkers’ of aging might actually be ‘biomarkers’ of inactivity,” Evans says. “We can make old people very strong,” Evans says.
In a Scandinavian study comparing lifelong swimmers and runners with bodybuilders, “only the bodybuilders’ muscle looked like that of young people,” Evans says.
Strength training “can make a 90-year-old as strong as a 50-year-old,” he adds. “One might call that reversing aging.”
Bodybuilding might also reduce the risk of diabetes, according to a study conducted by University of Maryland Prof. Richard Pratley. His team tracked nine men, ages 50 to 65, during a 12-week strength-training program.
The men trained all major muscle groups three times a week for 45 minutes per session, working on weight machines. Their strength increased, as expected, and so did insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces risk of developing diabetes.
“The fundamental problem in diabetes is insulin insensitivity,” says Pratley, who reported his research in May at the American Federation of Clinical Research meeting.
In yet another study, middle-aged men who did strength training sped up their “gastrointestinal transit time,” which in turn is believed to reduce colon cancer risk.
Exactly how the strength training improved transit time is not known, says Karen Koffler, a dietitian at Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore and the lead author of the study, recently published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
But the mechanical stresses that accompany strength training might be the key, she says.
Strength-training sessions every other day are probably enough to reap benefits, researchers say. In its guidelines, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training as part of a well-rounded physical fitness program.
It recommends strength-training exercises at least twice a week and not more than three times.
Try to include eight to 10 exercises that work major muscle groups, the college advises, and do at least one set of each exercise. Each set should include eight to 12 repetitions. The whole workout might be completed in 20 minutes.
Critics say weight training is unsafe for older people because it raises their blood pressure. But Evans counters that it’s safe when done properly and in moderation.
Checking with your doctor before beginning a strength-training program is wise, experts concur, especially if you’ve been sedentary or have chronic medical problems.
Regardless of age, exercisers should stretch before weight training, Evans says, and cool down when done.
Lifting Tips
New to strength training? Here’s how to minimize injury risk and maximize results, according to experts William Evans and Richard Pratley:
* Lift slowly, avoiding jerky or “explosive” movements. Lifting a weight should take two or three seconds; lowering it should take about the same amount of time.
* Ask a trainer in the health club to demonstrate proper breathing technique.
* Ask your doctor’s advice or get an examination before beginning, especially if you’re older or have diabetes or high blood pressure.
* Don’t go overboard. An every-other-day program works fine.
Two Views
Exercisers who are novices to strength training often ask, which are better--free weights, other hand-held weights or weight machines?
Experts say there are pros and cons to each method of strength training. Two elaborate:
William Evans, chief of the Human Physiology Laboratory at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University
“There’s no question that an increase of strength can be achieved at home, using homemade weights or store-bought, which are a lot less expensive than going to a club. But weight machines are also an excellent way to strength-train.
“Perhaps it is a better way for some people to get motivated. (Whichever method is used), people should understand the weight-lifting principle: lift an even heavier load to get stronger. The load has to be heavy enough to cause an effect. If you can lift the weight more than 15 times, it is too light.
“You want to be able to lift the weight eight times before your muscles fatigue. That load is big enough to cause an effect.”
Michael Preuss, fitness director, Cooper Aerobics Center, Dallas
“People can make strength gains with either free weights, hand-held weights or machines. The advantage to weight machines for novices is they allow you to learn motion control without having to keep your balance.
“With free weights, you can do more isolation work (for specific muscle groups) and have more variability--that is, you can add weight in smaller increments than with machines.”
