The research we're taking a look at.
Although obesity presents many health risks for older adults, weight reduction is commonly accompanied by lack of muscle tissue and lack of strength. A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine set out to find out whether more exercise or specific sorts of exercise would help preserve muscle mass during weight reduction.
Researchers randomly assigned 103 obese women and 57 obese men over the age of 65 to considered one of 4 groups. Three groups participated in a low-calorie food plan plus considered one of three exercise programs—aerobic training, resistance training, or combined aerobic and resistance training—while the fourth, a control group, received only details about healthy eating. .
After 26 weeks, each of the exercise groups had lost a median of 9 percent in weight, while those within the control group had not modified. Performance scores — a measure of the power to perform each day activities — increased more in those that combined aerobic and resistance exercise than in those that did just one type. However, all three exercise groups had higher performance scores than the control group. Aerobic capability—the power to metabolize oxygen—increased more within the compound and aerobic groups than within the resistance group. However, those in the mix and resistance groups showed greater strength gains and retained more muscle mass than those within the aerobic group.
Results, published on May 18, 2017. New England Journal of MedicineAdd to the evidence that resistance exercise, along with aerobic exercise, is essential as we age, especially once we're losing a few pounds.
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