Why lifting weights helps older women keep muscle while losing weight
Resistance Training Preserves Fat‐free Mass Without Impacting Changes in Protein Metabolism After Weight Loss in Older Women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Muscle protein synthesis increased by 100% after weight loss—even in the sedentary group.
Everyone assumed resistance training would spike muscle building—but the body’s natural adaptation to fasting did it all. Training didn’t add to it.
Practical Takeaways
If you're an older woman losing weight, do 3 resistance training sessions per week—even with moderate protein (1g/kg)—and focus on staying hydrated to preserve muscle appearance and strength.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Muscle protein synthesis increased by 100% after weight loss—even in the sedentary group.
Everyone assumed resistance training would spike muscle building—but the body’s natural adaptation to fasting did it all. Training didn’t add to it.
Practical Takeaways
If you're an older woman losing weight, do 3 resistance training sessions per week—even with moderate protein (1g/kg)—and focus on staying hydrated to preserve muscle appearance and strength.
Publication
Journal
Obesity
Year
2009
Authors
Wayne N. Campbell, M. Haub, R. Wolfe, A. Ferrando, D. Sullivan, John W. Apolzan, H. Iglay
Related Content
Claims (6)
When you lift weights over time, the main reason your body becomes leaner and more muscular is because your muscles grow bigger—not because you're losing fat or anything else.
When overweight women after menopause eat fewer calories but don’t lose weight too fast, the weight they lose from their muscle and non-fat tissue is mostly just water going out, not actual muscle or minerals—no matter if they exercise or not.
If overweight women in their late 60s cut their daily calories by 500 and lift weights three times a week for 13 weeks, they keep more of their muscle compared to those who don’t exercise—even though both groups lose the same amount of overall weight and fat.
Even if overweight, postmenopausal women lift weights while eating fewer calories, their body’s use of protein doesn’t change much—but they still keep their muscle mass.
If overweight women who’ve gone through menopause eat 500 fewer calories a day for about 11 weeks, their bodies use and make less of a key protein building block called leucine—but they don’t lose more protein overall or burn more of it for energy.