Muscle Strength in Older Women
Strength training is more beneficial than high protein intake for older women.
Preserving muscle strength and function and maintaining a healthy body composition are important objectives for older women. In a study about strength, functional ability and weight loss, researchers from the University of Georgia in Athens (UGA) found that exercise beats a high-protein diet for preserving muscle strength and function during a weight loss program and that combining the two interventions does not necessarily improve results.
“What’s reinforced by this study is if older women are trying to lose weight, they really need to incorporate exercise into their weight loss programs,” said lead study author Ellen Evans, PhD, kinesiology professor and director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health at UGA.
Look for the study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2021; 53 [1], 183–91).
See also: Training Loads for Women Over 40
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.
