▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
Before the article starts, I would like to ask you two questions:
1. Do you usually have the habit of exercising?
2. Do you do aerobic exercise (such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc.) or resistance exercise (such as weightlifting, dumbbells, push-ups, etc.) when exercising?
In life, many people may often do aerobic exercise, but rarely do anti-resistance exercise. So how big does doing or not doing resistance exercise have on life expectancy and health? Recently, a meta-study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who do weekly anti-resistance exercise tend to live longer and healthier, with lower rates of multiple diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
And it's not hard to get these health benefits, with about 30-60 minutes of muscle strengthening activity per week, equivalent to an average of less than 10 minutes per day, and the risk reduction described above is significantly reduced.
Screenshot source: British Journal of Sports Medicine
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 16 published studies. In the 16 studies, the number of participants ranged from 3809-479856; the longest follow-up time was 25.2 years; and the ages of participants ranged from 18 to 97.8 years.
After adjusting for factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, smoking status, eating habits, disease history, aerobic exercise, and other types of exercise, the researchers found that participants who did not do anti-resistance exercise and did anti-resistance exercise every week had a 15 percent lower risk of all-cause death, a 17 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 12 percent lower risk of cancer, and a 17 percent lower risk of diabetes than participants who did not do weekly resistance exercise.
At the same time, if participants did both aerobic and anti-resistance exercises every week, it would have a more beneficial impact on lifespan and health.
Compared with participants who did neither aerobic exercise nor anti-resistance exercise per week, doing both aerobic exercise and anti-resistance exercise every week was associated with a 40% lower risk of all-cause death, a 46% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 28% lower risk of cancer, and a 20% lower risk of diabetes.
Image credit: 123RF
It should be noted that the researchers also found that the time of doing resistance exercise each week was different, and the beneficial effects on life expectancy and health were also different, not the more the better:
Doing 40 minutes of resistance exercise per week had the most significant reduction in the risk of all-cause death (a 17 percent reduction) and a 10 percent increase in death risk if it exceeded 3 hours per week.
30 minutes of anti-resistance exercise per week had the greatest impact on reduced cancer risk (9% reduction).
60 minutes of resistance exercise per week had the greatest impact on the risk of cardiovascular disease (18 percent) and diabetes (17 percent).
Linear dose response analysis of the association between muscle strengthening activity (every 10 minutes/week increase) and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cancer, and diabetes (Image source: Reference [1])
The researchers note that although the exact mechanisms of resistance movement's effects on lifespan and health need to be explored more. However, according to existing research, resistance resistance movement may have beneficial effects on health and longevity through the following mechanisms.
Anti-resistance exercise helps to increase muscle mass, and muscle not only helps to maintain a young and healthy posture, but also is very important for exercise, balance, strength, and it is also a repository of amino acids and plays an active role in various metabolisms.
Resistance exercise helps skeletal muscle synthesis and secretion of muscle factors. Muscle factors circulate in the body through the blood and act on organs such as the liver, kidneys, and heart to regulate metabolism. Studies have found that muscle factors are closely related to the occurrence and development of metabolic-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Resistance movement also helps muscle cells release a tiny vesicle called "extracellular vesicle," which contains biologically active molecules such as proteins and miRNAs that promote material exchange between the liver and other organs or cells. This may also have beneficial effects on longevity and health.
The study concluded by mentioning that this meta-analysis only showed the beneficial effects of resistance exercise on longevity and health, and did not show a causal relationship. There are also limitations, such as the dependence of resistance movements on participant recall, which may also have an impact on the outcome.
The researchers note that the study's findings add evidence for the health benefits of resistance exercise. It's important to note that while this study shows that resistance movement is beneficial for preventing death and multiple diseases, this doesn't mean that resistance training alone is enough. For most of the week, not only anti-resistance exercise should be done, but also aerobic exercise to better promote health, prolong life, and improve life.
According to guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior published by the World Health Organization:
Adults aged 18-64 years should have 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or at least 75-100 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise, or an equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and high-intensity aerobic exercise. At the same time, moderate or higher intensity resistance exercise should be carried out at least 2 days a week.
For children and adolescents (5-17 years old), an average of 60 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise per day can bring many benefits, and the more activity the better.
Older adults (over 65 years old) should exercise at moderate or higher intensity at least 3 days a week, with a focus on functional balance and strength training to enhance body function and prevent falls.
For adults with chronic diseases such as cancer, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and AIDS, exercise is safe without specific contraindications and the benefits often outweigh the risks.
For people who do not reach the goal temporarily, it is recommended to gradually increase the frequency, intensity and duration of exercise gradually.