Overview
- The Harvard-led study published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled repeated, self-reported activity from nearly 150,000 U.S. nurses and health professionals followed for up to 30 years.
- Participants who did about 90 to 120 minutes of strength training per week had a 13% lower risk of death from any cause, a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular death, and a 27% lower risk of death from neurological disease compared with people who did no resistance training.
- People who combined strength training with substantial aerobic activity saw the largest benefit, about a 45% lower risk of death versus doing neither form of exercise.
- The mortality benefit rose up to roughly two hours of weekly strength work and then plateaued, and researchers said the findings do not establish cause because activity was self-reported and the analysis lacked detail on training intensity and specific exercises.
- Authors and experts offered biological reasons for the link such as muscle-released myokines, better blood sugar control, vascular changes, and BDNF effects on the brain and recommended future studies to define optimal dose, intensity, and population-specific effects.