Resistance training may appeal more to men than women because of muscle and strength gain, but a recent study by UNSW Sydney on men and women over age 50, found resistance training can actually reap similar benefits for both sexes.
Clinical Exercise Physiologist Brent Nicol from Logan Metro inSports Gym in Crestmead says he is not surprised by the findings.
“For the general population it might be a surprise, but there is a vast majority of research suggesting resistance training is very beneficial for both men and women,” he said. “More and more women are interested in resistance training and its benefits.
Mr Nicol said the benefits of resistance training for older women and men are not just improving a person’s strength.
“The overall benefits for elderly people undertaking resistance training is an increase in strength, but also in bone health, cognition and memory, as well as the social benefits, being with the community and creating a routine at the gym.”
The study compared muscle mass and strength gains in 651 older men and 759 older women aged between 50 and 90 with most having no prior resistance training experience, and found that even though men are likely to gain absolute muscle size, the gains relative to body size are the same as women’s.
“Historically, people tended to believe that men adapted to a greater degree from resistance training compared to women,” says Dr Amanda Hagstrom, exercise science lecturer at UNSW Medicine and Health. “We found no sex differences in changes in relative muscle size or upper body strength in older adults.
“It’s important for trainers to understand that women benefit just as much as men in terms of relative improvement compared to their baseline.”
