The Study
Muscle Power Versus Strength as a Predictor of Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women.
This study watched a large group of people over 10 years and found that those who were weaker at fast, powerful movements (like pulling quickly) were more likely to die during that time. It doesn’t prove that being weak causes death, but it shows a strong link.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether being able to use your muscles quickly (power) is more important for living longer than just being strong.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 552 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Even small gains in muscle power may help people live longer, especially as they age.
- 2People with the lowest muscle power were about 6 times more likely to die during the study than those with the highest power.
- 3Muscle strength didn’t predict death as clearly.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Mayo Clinic proceedings
Year
2025
Authors
Claudio Gil S Araújo, S. Kunutsor, T. Eijsvogels, Jonathan Myers, J. Laukkanen, D. Hamar, J. Niebauer, Atanu Bhattacharjee, Christina G de Souza e Silva, J. Franca, Claudia Lucia B Castro
Related Content
Claims (6)
The stronger your upper body muscles are — even just a little bit stronger — the lower your chances of dying from any cause, and this seems to be true no matter how strong you already are.
For middle-aged and older adults, how fast your muscles can generate power might be a better sign of how long you'll live than how strong they are — especially in men.
If middle-aged or older adults don't have much muscle power for their weight — like when pulling motions — they're much more likely to die earlier than those who are stronger, even after accounting for things like belly fat and health conditions.
If you're an older adult, having weaker hand grip compared to your weight might be a little linked to a higher chance of dying from any cause, but it doesn't add much info beyond things like blood pressure or smoking.
Muscle power — how fast you can use your muscles — might be a better sign of how long you'll live than just how strong your muscles are, because it shows how well your body can handle real-life movements.
Measuring how powerful your muscles are—relative to your size—might help doctors better predict your risk of dying from any cause, even after considering things like age, belly fat, and medical history. It seems to be especially helpful for women.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.