Is too much resistance training detrimental to health, especially for older adults?

Some studies suggest a J-shaped curve where over 130-140 minutes (2.5 hours) of resistance training per week is associated with elevated risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in older adults. This could be due to older adults' reduced capacity to adapt to high training stress or selection bias where individuals with pre-existing poor health undertake intense training to mitigate risks.

Should I take protein right before bed, or does it interfere with sleep?

While studies on pre-bed protein for body composition often use intake 30-90 minutes before sleep, those specifically measuring sleep quality often have protein intake 2-3 hours before bed. It's best to use trial and error; avoid going to bed too hungry or too full, and note that fatty or spicy meals are more likely to disrupt sleep than a liquid protein shake.

Does cannabis (THC or CBD) affect athletic performance or recovery?

Research on cannabis and athletic performance/recovery is limited. THC appears fairly benign for performance outcomes and recovery, with athletes sometimes using it for rest or sleep. CBD has mixed and limited evidence regarding recovery. Inhaling combustion products from cannabis can be detrimental to lung health.

When is the best time to take Creatine?

While one or two small studies suggest a slight advantage to taking Creatine post-workout, the difference is negligible. Consistency is more important than timing. It's recommended to take Creatine at a time most convenient for you daily. If GI distress occurs, strategies like splitting doses or taking it with a meal can help.

What happens if you consistently eat very low amounts of protein?

Consistently under-eating protein, especially significantly, will likely lead to rapid muscle loss and potential deficiencies in essential amino acids. A very early indicator would be developing anemia, causing severe fatigue, which would prompt medical attention and a recommendation to increase protein intake.

Does training one muscle group's volume affect the hypertrophy of other muscles?

There's weak evidence suggesting that lower body training might slightly boost upper body hypertrophy. Conversely, there's a highly tentative hint that excessive upper body training might slightly hinder lower body muscle protein synthesis. However, in practice, these interactions likely don't significantly impact overall muscle development for most individuals, especially well-rounded lifters.

Why are live debates often unproductive for discussing scientific topics like fitness and nutrition?

Live debates about scientific evidence are challenging because they don't allow participants to thoroughly review cited sources or construct nuanced arguments in real-time. Debaters may misrepresent research or simply dismiss points without proper examination, often swaying audiences through confidence rather than factual accuracy. Written debates offer a more productive format for detailed, evidence-based discussion.

Lifting & Mortality, Global Versus Localized Hypertrophy, and Pre-Sleep Meals (Ep 83)

Q: How much resistance training is recommended for general health benefits?

Roughly 30 to 60 minutes of resistance training per week is associated with the largest reductions in risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and total cancer. For diabetes risk, benefits continue past 60 minutes, but the rate of reduction diminishes.

Stronger By Science

Sports6 min read97 min video

Apr 21, 2022|13,751 views|302|43

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TL;DR

Resistance training is beneficial for health, but excessive amounts may increase mortality risk in older adults.

Key Insights

Performing 30-60 minutes of resistance training weekly is associated with significant reductions in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer risk.

For older adults, exceeding approximately 2.5 hours of resistance training per week may be associated with increased mortality and disease risk, possibly due to overtraining.

While causation is not definitively proven for the increased risk at higher volumes, plausible explanations include the body's reduced capacity to adapt to stress in older individuals.

Alternative explanations for the increased risk at higher volumes include individuals engaging in more training due to pre-existing health conditions.

Pre-sleep protein intake timing is less critical than overall daily protein intake, with no strong evidence to suggest it significantly harms sleep quality if consumed 30-90 minutes before bed.

Debates on fitness and nutrition topics are often unproductive due to the complexity of scientific literature, reliance on real-time interpretation, and potential for bad faith arguments.

UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ON RESISTANCE TRAINING AND MORTALITY

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between resistance training and health outcomes, specifically mortality and non-communicable disease incidence. The study included prospective observational studies with at least a two-year follow-up period. It analyzed data looking at resistance training in isolation, aerobic training in isolation, and a combination of both. The findings indicated that engaging in resistance training is associated with statistically significant reductions in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and diabetes incidence, with relative risk reductions ranging from 12-17 percent.

DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE J-SHAPED CURVE

The meta-analysis explored the dose-response relationship between resistance training volume and health outcomes. For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and total cancer, a J-shaped association was observed. This suggests that while some resistance training is beneficial, exceeding a certain volume may lead to an elevated risk. Specifically, 30-60 minutes of resistance training per week appeared to be associated with the largest risk reductions. Beyond approximately 130-140 minutes (around 2.5 hours) per week, further increases in training volume were associated with elevated risks for these outcomes.

INTERPRETING THE INCREASED RISK IN OLDER ADULTS

The potential increase in mortality risk observed with higher resistance training volumes (over 2.5 hours per week) is a complex finding, particularly relevant for older adults. One plausible explanation is that for older individuals, the body may have a reduced capacity to productively adapt to high training stress. Instead of beneficial adaptation, excessive training might lead to overtraining, breakdown, and potentially accelerate the aging process by increasing inflammation and oxidative damage. This could explain the observed association with increased mortality and chronic disease risk.

ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS AND CAUSATION

While the J-shaped curve is concerning, alternative explanations are crucial. It's possible that individuals engaging in higher volumes of resistance training were already in poorer health or had pre-existing conditions that led them to train more intensely, rather than the training itself causing the increased risk. For instance, someone recovering from a hip fracture or dealing with frailty might undertake extensive rehabilitation, leading to higher training volumes but also reflecting their compromised health status. Therefore, the observed association may not indicate causation but rather a correlation driven by underlying health issues.

OPTIMAL RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR HEALTH AND THE DEBATE ON EXTREME VOLUMES

For individuals primarily seeking health benefits from resistance training, approximately 30-60 minutes per week is likely sufficient and well-tolerated, consistently associated with reduced risk of premature death and non-communicable diseases. The evidence regarding the potential risks of very high training volumes (over 2.5 hours) in older adults remains inconclusive, and further research is needed. While the association exists, outright dismissal is intellectually dishonest, but it's also important not to catastrophize. For younger individuals, these higher volumes are less likely to pose a risk. For older adults engaging in extensive training, discussing these concerns with a doctor is advisable.

PRE-SLEEP PROTEIN INTAKE AND INTERINDIVIDUAL VARIATION

Regarding pre-sleep protein intake, the timing is less crucial than overall daily protein consumption. While some studies look at protein near bedtime for body composition, they often don't measure sleep quality. Research that does examine sleep quality often places protein intake further from bedtime (2-3 hours). The recommendation is to use trial and error to find what works best. Factors like hunger, fullness, meal composition (e.g., fatty or spicy foods), and individual tolerance play significant roles in how pre-bed meals affect sleep. Ultimately, ensuring a balance between not being too hungry and not being overly full is key.

THE INEFFICIENCY OF LIVE DEBATES IN FITNESS AND NUTRITION

Live debates on fitness and nutrition topics are often unproductive due to the complexity of scientific literature and the format's limitations. Debates are more suitable for theoretical or ideological discussions. When dealing with scientific evidence, real-time interpretation of studies is challenging, leaving room for bad-faith arguments, misrepresentation, or dismissal of evidence. The rapid-fire nature of such debates prevents in-depth analysis, critical reading of sources, and nuanced conclusions. Consequently, audiences may be swayed by confidence and rhetoric rather than the strength of evidence. Written formats allow for more thorough examination of research and thoughtful rebuttals.

THE ROLE OF ATHLETE SELECTION IN STRENGTH SPORTS

In strength sports like strongman, the strict overhead press often scales differently with body weight compared to other lifts like the jerk. While historical weightlifting records don't show a significant gap variation, the sport of strongman itself selects for athletes with exceptional static strength, particularly in heavier weight classes. These athletes may possess such immense raw pressing power that the technical nuances of a jerk or push press become less critical. In contrast, lighter weight classes in strongman may favor athletes with more explosive or agile attributes, alongside static strength, making press-to-jerk ratios more varied.

CONSEQUENCES OF SEVERE PROTEIN UNDERNUTRITION

Massively under-eating protein, such as consuming only 10 grams daily for a 100kg individual, would likely not lead to immediate implosion but severe negative health consequences. The body would begin to lose muscle mass rapidly. A primary and early indicator of such severe deficiency would likely be the development of anemia, leading to extreme fatigue. Without adequate essential amino acids, critical proteins cannot be replaced, eventually leading to a breakdown in bodily functions and potentially death, with anemia serving as a significant warning sign.

INTERPLAY BETWEEN MUSCLE GROUP TRAINING VOLUMES

The effect of training volume for one muscle group on others is an area with limited conclusive research. Some evidence suggests that lower body training might be beneficial for upper body hypertrophy, potentially due to anabolic hormonal responses. Conversely, some studies hint that performing upper body training concurrently with lower body training might slightly reduce muscle protein synthesis in the lower body. However, the maximally liberal interpretation is that exercise selection and overall recovery capacity are more critical than fine-tuning volume across muscle groups. Most likely, significant detriments occur only if training one area severely compromises the ability to train another effectively.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Supplements

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Books

●Studies Cited

●People Referenced

Resistance Training Duration and Risk Reduction for All-Cause Mortality, Cardiovascular Disease, and Total Cancer

Data extracted from this episode

Resistance Training Duration (minutes/week)	Optimal Risk Reduction	Elevated Risk Observed Past
30-60	Largest Reductions	N/A
>140 (2.5 hours)	N/A	Elevated Risk

Clean & Jerk vs. Clean & Press Weightlifting Record Differences by Weight Class (Historical Data)

Data extracted from this episode

Weight Class (kg)	Difference (kg): Clean & Jerk vs. Clean & Press
52	12
110 (~242 lbs)	9
Super Heavyweight (Vassily Alexeyev)	1

Common Questions

Resistance training is associated with lower rates of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, total cancer incidence, and diabetes incidence. These reductions are consistent across several studies, showing about a 12-17% lower relative risk for trained individuals.

Topics

Diabetes Prevention Dose-response Older Adults

Mentioned in this video

supplementTHC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)

personVassily Alexeyev

A Soviet weightlifter known for his tremendous pressing strength, highlighted when discussing the differences between clean and jerk and clean and press records.

personMenno Henselmans

A fitness expert with whom the hosts had a written debate about 'P-ratio' (protein sparing in energy balance), highlighting the benefits of written debates over live ones.

personLasha Talakhadze

A modern weightlifter mentioned as an example of an athlete with an extremely high clean and jerk that likely wouldn't translate directly to strict press strength, compared to historical records.

bookACSM's Guidelines

Guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine regarding resistance and aerobic training for health benefits, which Greg now views as more accurate than he previously thought.

studyMcNaughton

A study that found people with higher lean body mass might need more protein to maximize acute muscle protein synthesis response, and hints that upper body training might reduce lower body muscle protein synthesis.

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