The (future) benefits of strength training

For decades, the muscle was seen only as a “pulley” to move us around. Today we know that it is the largest endocrine organ in the body. Its function is activated when the muscle contracts, through the secretion of hormones called myokines. These travel through the blood and act on the brain improving memory (delaying Alzheimer’s disease, for example), on the liver and the pancreas regulating glucose and in fat tissue by burning fat.

In their metabolic function, myokines are the main glucose reservoir in the body. In fact, a healthy muscle acts like a sponge that absorbs blood sugar, preventing type 2 diabetes and certain cardiovascular diseases. Myokines also reduce chronic inflammation (inflammaging) typical of ageing, which leads to cellular damage. Finally, these hormones also stimulate the formation of bone tissue.

For all these reasons, every time strength is trained or a muscular effort is made, we can say that a dose of “natural internal pharmacy” is being injected, helping to keep the whole body in a more functional state.

How to train well today

Despite its amazing capacity, between the ages of 30 and 40 we reach our peak bone and muscle mass. That’s when the decisive moment arrives: the higher that peak, the greater the margin for loss before entering a risk zone for fracture or disability.

In this context, strength training subjects the bone to mechanical stress that forces it to strengthen. In other words, autonomy at the age of 80 will depend directly on the strength built today, and to build this strength in a functional way we must consider four key factors:  

What exercises will benefit us in the future?

For an older person to be independent, they basically need three things: lower body strength (in the legs), core stability and the ability to handle objects for daily life activities. Firstly, the extensors of the knee and hip (quadriceps and glutes) are the most critical muscles. These are what allow you to stand up from a chair, climb stairs and, most importantly, stop the body during trips and falls.

The stability muscles are mainly those that make up the CORE (abdominals, glutes and the muscles of the lumbar spine). The aim of training this area is not to define the abs into a “six-pack”, but for the deep muscles of the abdomen and back to keep the spine upright, achieving good muscle tone. This prevents chronic lower back pain and provides pelvic stability that allows strength and explosiveness to be transferred to the legs and the rest of the body.

Grip strength is correlated with basic actions such as ensuring nutrition, achieving an adequate level of hygiene and providing safety.

Strength training and menopause

In the case of women, another benefit is added to the list, which is that reaching menopause with a high reserve of muscle mass and a good density of oestrogen receptors (the main hormone affected in this process, responsible for repairing fibres and protein synthesis) in the cells means starting from a much higher level.

From menopause to ageing, muscle mass is lost (sarcopenia) and, even more rapidly, strength decreases (dynapenia), partly due to the loss of oestrogen, which accelerates bone loss. However, if muscles are strong, they continue sending mechanical “building” signals to the bone, largely compensating for the lack of chemical signalling from oestrogen. In addition, strength training is also more effective than light cardio at specifically reducing visceral fat typical of this stage.

Beyond menopause, to achieve this solid muscle base, some non-negotiables in the routine should be:

• The jump squat, which generates a controlled impact on the neck of the femur.
• The medicine ball slam (slam), which improves CORE and upper-body power, essential for maintaining an upright posture.
• The box step-up (step-up), which strengthens the glutes and improves single-leg balance, key to preventing future falls.