Even if your muscles don’t get much bigger from lifting weights, your body still improves how it uses energy, like making your muscles better at burning fuel efficiently.
Scientific Claim
Resistance training increases expression of aerobic metabolism and mitochondrial gene networks in older adults, independent of muscle hypertrophy, suggesting resistance exercise can enhance metabolic fitness even without significant muscle growth.
Original Statement
“Response networks (n = 6) indicated RT-induced increase in aerobic metabolism and reduced expression of genes associated with spliceosome biology and type-I myofibers... RT induced positive changes in LVs associated with aerobic exercise training (LVs 2 and 19) and metabolism (namely tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain; LV 8).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim describes associations between training and gene expression changes, using 'increases' appropriately as a descriptive outcome of paired pre-post comparisons within individuals, not causal inference.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Muscle Transcriptional Networks Linked to Resistance Exercise Training Hypertrophic Response Heterogeneity.
Even if older adults didn’t get much bigger muscles from weight training, their muscles still made more of the proteins needed for efficient energy use—like improving the engine’s fuel efficiency without adding more parts.