Precious metals

A few weeks ago, I told you that your fitness level is the best predictor of your overall health and potential lifespan, and suggested that just 30 minutes of walking each day was enough to produce benefits. Now new research suggests another way to boost your exercise capacity – and tells us that this is one area where seniors can see even more impressive gains than the younger set.

I’m talking about “resistance training,” or weight lifting. When you hear that phrase, you may think of people like Arnold Schwarzenegger – but the truth is that all of us can benefit from adding resistance work to our exercise routines. We’ve known for some time that resistance exercise can help increase bone density. But this new study from the University of Florida shows that resistance exercise can also have a dramatic impact on aerobic capacity – particularly in those of us who are over the age of 60.
Getting enough iron

The University of Florida research puts an emphasis on what they call “treadmill time to exhaustion,” or exercise capacity. It’s a simple concept: if you have a high exercise capacity, then generally speaking you’re generally in good health. But subjects who rate the lowest exercise capacities have a much higher risk of disease and early death. The specific purpose of the UF study was to measure exercise capacity and aerobic power in subjects 60 to 85 years of age before and after six months of resistance training exercise.

The group of 62 volunteers – aged 60 to 83 years – were randomly assigned to a low-intensity exercise (LEX) group or a high-intensity exercise (HEX) group. Their aerobic power was measured using a treadmill test to determine peak oxygen capacity. Muscular strength was assessed with eight resistance exercises: leg press, leg curl, knee extension, chest press, seated row, overhead press, triceps dip, and biceps curl. Subjects performed resistance exercises three times per week for six months. Throughout the testing sessions, the loads used on the resistance equipment were increased for each subject as their exertion rating improved. Blood pressure measurements and electrocardiograms were recorded during all sessions.

At the end of the study, researchers reported that both low- and high-intensity resistance exercise significantly improved the participants’ exercise capacities. People in the high-intensity group increased their oxygen peak by 20% and their exercise capacity by 23%. Surprisingly, the participants in the low-intensity group saw even greater gains: they increased their oxygen peak an average of 23.5% and boosted their exercise capacity by 26%.

These results strongly suggest that resistance exercise is a great way to increase your endurance. And if you’ve always thought of weight training as better suited to younger people, think again: previous research has shown that younger people don’t get as much cardiovascular benefit from resistance training as their older counterparts. (It’s nice to know age has still some advantages!)
A stroll to nowhere

Last month, I told you about two other studies that used the treadmill as a tool to determine cardiovascular health. In one study, researchers at Johns Hopkins found that their treadmill tests revealed blood flow problems even with patients that hadn’t shown any of the standard symptoms of heart disease, like angina (chest pain), previous heart attacks, or exercise-related cramping.

In the other study, from Stanford, scientists used treadmill tests to show how even a small improvement in exercise capacity can improve your health and help prevent heart disease. As I mentioned above and previously, we’re learning that fitness level is the best predictor of your overall health and your potential life span. The Johns Hopkins, the Stanford, and now the University of Florida studies all clearly show how treadmill tests can be used to assess your fitness level and, perhaps, your longevity. To measure your fitness level, talk to your doctor about scheduling a treadmill test.

And if, for any reason, you’ve avoided aerobic exercise, this e-Alert shows resistance exercise can help you build strength AND improve your cardiovascular health at the same time. Of course, it’s always a good idea to talk to your physician before beginning any new exercise routine.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
Archives of Internal Medicine, 2002:162;673-678