Strength training after 60: what you still gain

Is it too late for weight training after 60? No: strength goes up by 24 to 33% on average, even at 80 or 90 years old, and the muscle grows a bit. Muscle gain is more modest than strength gain and decreases with age; heavy loads do slightly better than light ones, and protein adds a little lean mass, rarely strength. Here is what twenty-two studies measure.

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle and strength that comes with age. Researchers test weight training ("resistance training") in healthy seniors, in people who are already sarcopenic or frail, and even in nursing home residents. If you already train and wonder what a break costs, there is Stopping weight training: how long before you lose your muscle?

Strength: the clearest gain

A meta-analysis of 47 studies (1,079 participants aged 50 and older) finds a positive effect on all strength measures: from 9.8 to 31.6 kg more depending on the exercise, or 24 to 33%. The higher the intensity, the more strength progresses.

Age does not close the door. In those aged 75 and older, weight training significantly increases strength (effect size 0.97), and even more so in those aged 80 and older (1.28). In women aged 60-65 and 80-89, 12 weeks of heavy loads lifted as fast as possible increased maximum strength by 28% and 18%, and jump height by 18% and 10%.

Muscle: a real gain, but smaller

A meta-analysis of 49 studies (1,328 participants aged 50 and older) measures an average of 1.1 kg more lean mass. Higher volume programs gain more, and older individuals gain less. In those aged 75 and older, the effect on muscle size exists but remains small (0.30), compared to 0.97 for strength.

In people already affected, trials point in the same direction. In 70 people aged 70 with pre-sarcopenia, ten weeks added 1.1 kg of lean mass and removed 0.55 kg of fat mass, and the chair rise improved by 0.9 seconds. In 91 frail seniors aged 78 and older, three months added 0.84 kg of lean mass, compared to nothing in the control group, without lowering fat mass. In 43 men aged 73 to 91 with osteosarcopenia, one year of intense weight training increased muscle mass index and leg strength, which decreased in the control group; but weight training was combined with protein, vitamin D and calcium.

These figures come from a meta-analysis on pre-sarcopenia, sarcopenia and frailty. Another, on 561 sarcopenic seniors, finds large effects on knee strength, walking speed and the timed up-and-go test, but no significant effect on muscle mass itself. In seniors, weight training is primarily used to be stronger and more mobile.

Heavy, light or fast?

A meta-analysis of 15 studies compares heavy loads (about 80% of maximum) to light or moderate loads (about 45%) in seniors averaging 68 years old: strength tends to increase more with heavy loads, and muscle a bit more too, but light loads give substantial gains if you do enough repetitions. In 22 frail people averaging 81 years old, 80% of maximum did better than 40% on strength, muscle endurance and the six-minute walk.

For everyday life, speed matters. According to a meta-analysis on dose, high intensity is better for maximum strength, but not necessarily for everyday movements; power training (lifting fast) does better for power and function. A meta-analysis of 11 trials gives it a slight advantage over traditional weight training for function (effect size 0.32), without being able to conclude on its safety. To set your loads as a percentage of your maximum, the 1RM calculator does the math.

Protein: a little extra on lean mass

A meta-analysis of 17 trials (averaging 73 years old) finds that adding a protein supplement to weight training yields more lean mass (effect size 0.58) and greater leg strength (0.69) than weight training alone. Another, of 9 trials, is less enthusiastic: a little more lean mass (0.23), but nothing significant on muscle mass or strength.

In 62 frail seniors aged 78, 15 g of protein twice a day for 24 weeks of weight training increased lean mass from 47.2 to 48.5 kg, compared to 45.7 to 45.4 kg in the placebo group. Strength and physical performance, on the other hand, improved equally in both groups. To find out what you are already eating, the food diary counts your protein; to choose between powder and whole foods, there is Whey or natural protein and the whey profile. Another supplement has been tested with weight training after the age of 60: creatine, detailed in creatine for seniors.

During a diet, weight training preserves muscle

Weight loss after 60 also causes muscle loss. In obese seniors on a diet, adding strength training prevented 93.5% of the lean mass loss due to caloric restriction (0.82 kg), for the same fat and weight loss. To sort out your deficit, use the calorie calculator.

Men and women, and a drug that slows things down

Across 36 studies (602 men and 703 women aged 60 and over), men gain more strength in kilograms and slightly more lean mass; women gain more relative strength. No difference in muscle size or physical performance.

In the MASTERS trial, 94 healthy seniors followed the same strength training regimen with metformin (1,700 mg per day, a diabetes drug) or a placebo: the placebo group gained more lean mass and more thigh muscle. The trial does not say you should stop a treatment: that is a question for your doctor.

In summary

To start or resume, the workout generator suggests a program based on the number of days you have available, and the exercises page shows the movements.

Every figure in this article comes from a study you can open: the underlined mentions lead to the summary of the work it is taken from, written from the abstract alone. Informative content, which does not replace the advice of a health professional: if you have a medical condition or are undergoing treatment, talk about it before starting.