According to a new study, it's not too late to start exercising

According to a new scientific study, older people who have never engaged in regular physical activity have muscle capacity similar to that of “high-performance athletes” of the same age.

Research has also found that people who have never exercised can still benefit from strength training.

The study was published on the Frontiers in Physiology website⁽¹⁾.

In this study, researchers from the University of Birmingham (UK) looked at two groups of older men: athletes and sedentary people aged between 70 and 80 who were in good health. Veteran athletes (ages 70-80) train regularly throughout their lives and still compete at the highest levels in their sport.

For consideration, comment on the age and physical condition influent on the musculoskeletal movement, the muscles on using an isotopic tracer, the “eau de creme” or deuterium oxide (DNO), to determine the amount of proteins in the muscles and the development of these⁽²⁾. After drinking this heavy water, each participant performed a weight training session.

For the purposes of the study, researchers took muscle biopsies from participants 48 hours before and after the session. They then analyzed muscle samples to see how they responded to exercise.

The researchers expected that athletes would have a greater ability to build muscle due to their greater physical fitness over many years.

However, they noticed an unexpected result: the study data actually revealed that the two groups had an equal ability to build muscle in response to training.

Therefore, the results of this study should motivate older people to start exercising, not only for their physical health, but also for their mental health (depression and anxiety).

Skeletal muscle represents the largest organ in the body, is metabolically active, and therefore one of the pillars of overall health and balance.

Gaining muscle leads to metabolic benefits that can increase weight loss, improve heart function and glucose utilization, and reduce the risk of falls in older adults by improving muscle strength.

“Our study clearly shows that even if you have not exercised regularly throughout your life, you can still quickly reap the benefits of exercise,” says lead author Lee Breen, Ph.D. Obviously, regular training is the best way to maintain good health, but even starting later in life can delay the loss of muscle strength and weakness associated with aging.

“Current public health recommendations on exercise training for older people are often very vague. What we need is concrete advice on how to improve people's muscle strength, even outside the gym, by doing activities at home, such as gardening, going up and down the stairs or… Lifting the shopping bag, all on a regular basis. Done.

The most important thing is to move, it is the first step to starting an exercise program. Fast walking is excellent. Moreover, it offers the same benefits as running⁽³⁾. However, adding a muscle strengthening program is ideal for increasing muscle mass, which is an essential component of anti-aging.

The proof is in the pictures