Key numbers
9.8 to 31.6 kg
Range of strength gains across four lifts in adults 50 and older (reported in kilograms)
33+/-3 percent
Gain in knee extension strength in adults 50 and older
4.6 points
Average study-quality score in the 2015 review (PEDro scale), rated poor
What the reviews looked at
Resistance training is often used to build strength and muscle in later life. A 2015 review by Borde and colleagues searched PubMed, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library from January 1984 up to June 2015 for randomized controlled trials in healthy older adults. It kept trials that measured strength or muscle size and described how the training was done.
A 2010 review by Peterson and colleagues pooled randomized controlled trials and other randomized or non-randomized studies in adults aged 50 years or older.
Which training features were linked to larger strength gains
The 2015 review identified dose-response relationships associated with greater gains. These are not settings proven to give the best result for everyone. Looking at one training feature at a time, two sessions a week was linked to the largest strength gains (an effect size, or standardized mean difference, of 2.13). Loads of 70 to 79 percent of a person's one-repetition maximum, the heaviest weight they can lift once, were linked to the largest effect of any load range (1.89).
Total time under tension was also significantly related to strength gains (p less than 0.01). Sixty seconds of rest between sets showed the largest effect of any rest period (4.68), but that figure came from only two studies.
Muscle size: thinner evidence
Only nine studies measured muscle size, so the review called these findings preliminary. No single measure of training volume significantly predicted gains in muscle size. Looked at one feature at a time, the longest training periods (50 to 53 weeks) and three sessions a week were linked to the largest size gains.
Why this is not a prescription
Results varied widely from study to study, and the average study-quality score was 4.6 points on the PEDro scale, which the authors rated as poor. The review could not test how training features interact with each other. The authors said more research is needed to find the best amounts for healthy older adults and for those with limited mobility or frailty.
The 2010 review found that adults aged 50 and older gained strength with resistance exercise: gains ranged from 9.8 to 31.6 kg across four lifts (the study reported kilograms), and knee extension strength rose by 33+/-3 percent. Its authors called resistance exercise a viable strategy against the general muscle weakness that comes with aging. Its findings about training intensity are not a single best prescription, and they do not mean every older adult has to lift at maximal intensity.
The evidence
Each cited source is labeled according to how it supports the particular claim on this page. Direct test evidence, underlying-capacity findings and population reference values are distinguished from Systematic-defined protocols and standards. Historical development notes are retained internally rather than presented as public evidence. A study of an underlying capacity is never presented as validation of the Systematic test itself.
-
Underlying-capacity evidence New source
Borde et al. (2015). Dose-Response Relationships of Resistance Training in Healthy Old Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.).
What it found. In randomized trials in healthy older adults, resistance training improved strength and muscle size. Two sessions a week and loads of 70 to 79 percent of one-repetition maximum were linked to the largest strength gains.
What it does not show. It does not show a single best dose for everyone or how training features interact. Study quality was rated poor, and the muscle-size findings rest on only nine studies.
-
Underlying-capacity evidence New source
Peterson et al. (2010). Resistance exercise for muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Ageing research reviews.
What it found. Adults aged 50 and older gained 9.8 to 31.6 kg across four lifts with resistance exercise, and knee extension strength rose by 33+/-3 percent.
What it does not show. Its findings on training intensity are not a universal prescription, and it does not show every older adult must train at maximal intensity.
The Systematic Healthspan Assessment is a physical baseline. It is not a diagnosis, and it does not estimate a biological age, a disease risk or a lifespan.