An astonishing example of why you're never too old
|
Read time: 5 minutes It’s a faulty belief stopping many from turning their health (and life) around: The idea we lose the ability to benefit from exercise as we age. And that beyond a certain point, we’re just “past it”. But the reality is, it’s never too late to overturn decades of declines in health and fitness. And there’s probably no better example than a woman who became the strongest of the strong - a powerlifting world champion - at 71 years of age. But here’s the thing: She only started resistance training at age 63. A world champion powerlifter - who started lifting at age 63Ina Koolhaas Revers is a 71 year-old female world champion powerlifter. Being a world champion, it won’t surprise you to know she is seriously strong. Her personal best lifts are:
Ina began some occasional endurance training (like jogging) when she was 43, but only started resistance training later in life, at age 63. She began lifting once weekly and progressed to 3 times per week over the next 4 years. At this point, she competed in regional CrossFit competitions and later in powerlifting. Nowadays, she resistance trains 4 times per week and still competes in powerlifting internationally. The question is: How much has 8 years of resistance training - started later in life - put Ina ahead of her same-age peers? To find out, a world-leading research team at Maastricht University in The Netherlands took her through a series of tests. And the results are pretty astounding. The impact of 8 years of resistance training from age 63Over two days, Ina underwent a series of tests to assess her:
Ina’s physiological profile was then compared to healthy females of a similar age and to those much younger. Here’s how she fared against her age-matched counterparts: Muscle massFrom as early as our 30’s, we can expect to lose about 1% of our muscle mass per year. These declines begin slowly and accelerate later on - particularly after menopause in women. That’s if we don’t take action, of course. The MRI scans illustrated this dramatically, showing Ina’s quadriceps muscles were 37% larger than those of age-matched females. Muscle loss with ageing mainly impacts the larger and more powerful type II muscle fibres, rather than the smaller, slower type I fibres. Because type II fibres are only called upon for activities needing higher levels of force, they tend to be used less and less with age. And as a result, these fibres not only decrease in size - but can be permanently lost. But the muscle biopsy showed Ina had 46% larger type II muscle fibres than age-matched controls - which were similar or even bigger than type II fibres in healthy young active females. Her muscles truly resembled those of someone aged in their mid-twenties. Muscle strengthAs a world-champion powerlifter, there’s little doubt Ina is seriously strong. In fact - her personal bests in the 3 powerlifting lifts were 15-33% better than average values in trained 25 year-old females. Clearly she has more than offset the usual age-related strength declines of 2-3% per year. And her superior strength was confirmed in the other tests too. The study found Ina had substantially high values for one-repetition maximum (1-RM):
Given higher strength is linked to a lower risk of chronic disease and mortality, Ina’s strength levels gives her a decent chance of enjoying good health for as long as possible. Body compositionNot only do we lose muscle with age, we gain body fat, too. It’s kind of cruel, really… But it doesn’t have to be this way. Ina’s overall body fat was 31%, which is much lower (9%) than average for her age. This included 30% less subcutaneous fat (under the skin) in her abdominal region. But it’s the fat we can’t see from the outside - the kind surrounding our organs (known as visceral fat) and infiltrating our liver - that has a far greater impact on our health. The whole-body MRI scan showed Ina had 21% less visceral fat than younger (but postmenopausal) women, and a remarkable 70% less liver fat. What’s more, she also had 32% less fat infiltrating her muscles - which also increases with age and can impair muscle function. Ina’s body composition profile makes her far less susceptible to the metabolic syndrome - a cluster of diseases that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Bone densityA higher bone density is critical for health and reducing the risk of fractures. Bone mineral density typically peaks in young age (~20 years) where it averages around 1.10-1.20 g/cm2. Bone loss increases with age and accelerates after menopause - with bone mineral density values around 0.93 g/cm2 expected for someone of Ina’s age and body mass. Resistance training and impact-type exercise, together with nutritional support, are key to maintaining bone density across the lifespan. So - was Ina able to counter the age-related loss of bone density? Not only did she show evidence of slowing these declines, her bone mineral density of 1.09 g/cm2 was similar to females 40+ years her junior. Cardiometabolic healthAerobic fitness (or VO2max) is another key metric with strong links to health and longevity. Having a higher VO2max reduces the risk of mortality from all causes by a whopping 41-53%. By our 30’s, we’re losing about 1% of our aerobic fitness per year. And this accelerates to 2-3% per year by our 50’s. Despite focusing on resistance training, Ina’s VO2max (30 mL/kg/min) was:
This aligns with evidence resistance training also improves fitness metrics usually linked to endurance-type training - such as better aerobic capacity and more mitochondria (the energy powerhouses in our cells). Another vote for the benefits of resistance training being far wider than many think. Contrary to common belief, it’s really never too lateThese are no doubt some impressive results. And they showcase what might be possible when getting started with exercise later in life. But being a case study, there’s some things to consider. The study only took measurements at one point in time, so we don’t know how much Ina improved since she started resistance training, or whether she had above-average levels to begin with. We also can’t rule out if Ina’s genetics meant her responses to training are larger than others might expect. But what we do know is those aged 70+ can substantially increase their skeletal muscle mass and strength after just 12-24 weeks of resistance training. In fact - the muscles of those aged well into their 90’s can still respond to resistance training. It’s data like these - together with impressive examples like Ina Koolhaas Revers - that suggest it really is never too late to buck the trend. As always, it’s so great to have you here. See you next time, Jackson
If you've got a moment, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this edition of The Weekly Exerciser. Send me a quick message or email - I'll reply to every one! PS: Did someone forward you this email? You can sign up to The Weekly Exerciser here. IMPORTANT:The information contained herein is of general nature only and does not constitute personal advice. You should not act on any information without considering your personal needs, circumstances, and objectives. Any exercise program may result in injury. We recommend you obtain advice specific to your circumstances from an appropriate health professional before starting any exercise program. |
The Weekly Exerciser
A weekly newsletter with actionable tips to make exercise easier.