After 12 weeks of lifting weights, both strong and weak older women gained about the same amount of muscle—starting strength didn’t affect how much muscle they built.

Scientific Claim

In older women, 12 weeks of resistance training does not lead to significant differences in skeletal muscle mass gains between those with high versus low baseline strength.

Original Statement

“The increases of segmental LST and SMM were similar between-groups (ESdiff contains zero, P ≥ 0.434).”

From study:Weaker older women gain more lower body strength than their stronger counterparts, but not muscle mass, following 12 weeks of resistance training

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

overstated

Study Design Support

Design cannot support claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim uses 'does not lead to' which implies causation, but the study design is not confirmed as experimental. Only an association can be stated. The data support no difference, but language must reflect observational limits.

More Accurate Statement

“In older women, 12 weeks of resistance training is associated with no significant difference in skeletal muscle mass gains between those with high versus low baseline strength.”

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Weaker older women gain more lower body strength than their stronger counterparts, but not muscle mass, following 12 weeks of resistance training

Cohort Study

Human

2022 Dec

Even if older women were weak or strong to start with, after 12 weeks of lifting weights, they all gained about the same amount of muscle—strength improved more for the weak ones in their legs, but muscle size didn’t change differently between groups.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Weaker older women gain more lower body strength than their stronger counterparts, but not muscle mass, following 12 weeks of resistance training

Score: 49

DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2023.2189789

Similar Assertions

After doing strength training for 12 weeks, older women—whether they started strong or weak—gained about the same amount of strength in their arms and the same amount of muscle, no matter how strong they were at the start.

86%

Older women who started out weaker in their legs got stronger in their legs more than the stronger ones after doing leg exercises for 12 weeks, but everyone gained about the same amount of muscle and upper-body strength.

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Even people in their 50s and 70s can get much stronger and activate their muscles better after 12 weeks of heavy weight training — age doesn’t stop them from improving.

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Lifting light or heavy weights to exhaustion for 12 weeks didn’t change body fat or muscle mass in women who had never lifted before.

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Older women who lift weights—even just one arm or leg at a time—gain muscle and fight off the natural muscle loss that comes with aging.

76%