fbpx Skip to content

Strength Training and Inflammation

Research identifies cellular changes in older adults.

| Earn 1 CEC - Take Quiz

Man using strength training for inflammation

Continue to support strength training for inflammation with older adults. Research adds insight into potential mechanisms for why strength training may have an anti-inflammatory effect that’s particularly beneficial for this demographic group.

Resistance training is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect (in addition to improving body composition, flexibility and balance). For older adults, health issues include higher systemic inflammation levels as well as muscle mass loss. Healthy cells protect against systemic stress from the accumulation of unfolded and misfolded proteins with an endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (UPR). This response decreases with age and contributes to the increase in systemic inflammation observed with aging.

Florida Atlantic University researchers in Boca Raton analyzed UPR activation, inflammatory pathways and the production of proteins that contribute to the ability of cells to stay healthy and active among older adults in a resistance training program. Results showed that inflammatory protein levels remained unchanged and indicated that resistance training may have contributed to maintenance of the UPR protective effect. “Regular physical activity is suggested to be an effective intervention in improving age-related diseases such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia or muscle loss and dynapenia or loss of muscle strength,” said senior study author Chun-Jung “Phil” Huang, PhD, professor in the department of exercise science and health promotion.

“Although the beneficial effects of regular physical exercise to alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress are well-established, the processes of these physiological adaptations with regard to protein folding or UPR remain to be explored. That is why we used a systems biology approach for our study.” More research is recommended, specifically studies that measure these variables in skeletal muscle.

The study on strength training and inflammation is published in Antioxidants (2023; 11 [1], 2242).

See also: How Exercise Helps Inflammation


Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA

Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.

Related Articles