Muscle Strength Increases Longevity

Need more motivation to stay on top of your functional strength training program? A new study finds that the older we get, the more important muscle strength becomes a factor in our continued health and well-being.

Researchers from China and Indiana University collaborated to analyze data from almost 5,000 older adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and found that older people with low muscle strength had more than twice the risk of dying during the study than those who had normal muscle strength.   The study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

The research team compared associations between low muscle mass and low muscle strength with overall risk of death and found that the mortality rates were significantly higher among individuals with low muscle strength, regardless of whether they had low muscle mass.

Based on their findings, study authors concluded that low muscle strength was independently associated with a higher risk of death, regardless of any other present factors, including overall muscle mass, metabolic syndrome, sedentary time or leisure-time physical activity.

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