The Study
Analysis of combinatory effects of free weight resistance training and a high-protein diet on body composition and strength capacity in postmenopausal women - A 12-week randomized controlled trial
This study is like a fair test where women were randomly assigned to different exercise and diet plans to see what works best. It shows that lifting weights really does help build muscle and get stronger, but eating more protein by itself doesn’t do much unless you also lift weights.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if older women can get stronger and leaner by lifting weights, eating lots of protein, or doing both.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 573 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — lifting weights helped older women build muscle and lose fat, which can prevent falls and frailty.
- 2Eating more protein alone didn’t build muscle but still helped a little with strength, possibly by improving nerve-muscle communication.
- 3Women who lifted weights gained 1.2–1.4 kg of muscle and lost 2.4 kg of fat.
- 4Women who ate extra protein but didn’t lift weights got slightly stronger in squats and deadlifts (+5–8 kg) but didn’t gain muscle or lose fat.
- 5Women who did both didn’t get any extra benefit from the protein.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging
Year
2024
Authors
Paulina Ioannidou, Zsuzsanna Dóró, Jan Schalla, Wim Wätjen, Patrick Diel, E. Isenmann
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.