Do Muscle-Strengthening Activities Enhance the Mortality Benefit of Aerobic Exercise?
Mortality risks were lowest when ≥2 sessions weekly of muscle-strengthening activity were added.
Evidence suggests that regular moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity lowers risk for premature death and that this risk can be lowered further by adding muscle-strengthening activity, such as lifting weights and doing calisthenics. In this prospective cohort study of a representative sample of 500,000 U.S. adults, researchers examined how these activities (self-reported by participants) were associated with mortality.
After median follow-up of 10 years, various combinations of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity (ranging from <75 to="">300 minutes weekly) were associated with lower risks for all-cause death, in a roughly dose-response manner. For most combinations of moderate and vigorous aerobic exercise, adding two or more sessions of muscle-strengthening activity was associated with even lower mortality. Outcomes for cardiovascular-related mortality roughly paralleled all-cause mortality outcomes.
COMMENT
Regular moderate and vigorous physical activity are associated with lower premature mortality, and
adding at least two muscle-strengthening sessions weekly appears to enhance this benefit.
— Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
NON-2023-11019