Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Feb;43(2):249-58.
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181eb6265.

Influence of resistance exercise on lean body mass in aging adults: a meta-analysis

Mark D Peterson  1 , Ananda Sen, Paul M Gordon
Affiliations
Review

Influence of resistance exercise on lean body mass in aging adults: a meta-analysis

Mark D Peterson et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: sarcopenia plays a principal role in the pathogenesis of frailty and functional impairment that occur with aging. There are few published accounts that examine the overall benefit of resistance exercise (RE) for lean body mass (LBM) while considering a continuum of dosage schemes and/or age ranges. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the effects of RE on LBM in older men and women while taking these factors into consideration.

Methods: this study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. Randomized controlled trials and randomized or nonrandomized studies among adults ≥ 50 yr were included. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the Cochran Q and the I statistics, and publication bias was evaluated through physical inspection of funnel plots as well as formal rank-correlation statistics. Mixed-effects meta-regression was incorporated to assess the relationship between RE dosage and changes in LBM.

Results: data from 49 studies, representing a total of 1328 participants, were pooled using random-effect models. Results demonstrated a positive effect for LBM, and there was no evidence of publication bias. The Cochran Q statistic for heterogeneity was 497.8, which was significant (P < 0.01). Likewise, I was equal to 84%, representing rejection of the null hypothesis of homogeneity. The weighted pooled estimate of mean LBM change was 1.1 kg (95% confidence interval = 0.9-1.2 kg). Meta-regression revealed that higher-volume interventions were associated (β = 0.05, P < 0.01) with significantly greater increases in LBM, whereas older individuals experienced less increase (β = -0.03, P = 0.01).

Conclusions: RE is effective for eliciting gains in LBM among aging adults, particularly with higher-volume programs. Findings suggest that RE participation earlier in life may provide superior effectiveness.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement: There are no reported conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of papers through the review process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Begg's funnel plot for lean body mass, with 95% confidence limits. No evidence of publication bias was detected.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals for all 83 cohorts (50 studies) representing lean body mass, based on the fixed effects meta-analysis results.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Lean Body Mass Change by Training Volume (sets per session), weighted by number of subjects in the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. ACSM. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Exercise and physical activity for older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30:992–1008. - PubMed
    1. ACSM. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30:975–991. - PubMed
    1. ACSM. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41:687–708. - PubMed
    1. Ades PA, Ballor DL, Ashikaga T, Utton JL, Nair KS. Weight training improves walking endurance in healthy elderly persons. Ann Intern Med. 1996;124:568–572. - PubMed
    1. Ades PA, Savage PD, Brochu M, Tischler MD, Lee NM, Poehlman ET. Resistance training increases total daily energy expenditure in disabled older women with coronary heart disease. J Appl Physiol. 2005;98:1280–1285. - PubMed