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Doctor uncovers terrifying link between muscle weakness and early death
Lifting weights isn’t just about having big biceps and a six-pack – your muscle strength has a big impact on the age you die.
A doctor has revealed the terrifying link between being weak and dying young and shared the importance of strength training for living longer.
Muscle weakness and early death
Speaking on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon shared a scary statistic: people who are in the lower third of strength have a 50% bigger chance of dying from “anything”.
This comes from a 2011 study which followed 1,506 men aged over 40 who were enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study from 1980 to 2003. Participants received an extensive medical examination to determine their strength and were placed into thirds of muscular strength.
Those in the upper third had a 49% lower risk of overall death compared with those in the lower third, so they are half as likely to die early. The study concluded that muscle strength is associated with mortality and being strong is a key factor in improving your life expectancy.
‘Skeletal muscle is the organ of longevity’
“You are never going to regret being stronger. Period. End of story,” Lyon urged. “You need to be physically strong.”
She claimed that “skeletal muscle is the organ of longevity” – meaning building muscle is the most important thing if you want to live longer. Heart health and cognitive function are also extremely important.
Another similar study analyzed muscle mass and all-cause mortality in 3,659 participants aged 55 or older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III and found that total mortality was “significantly lower” in the fourth quartile of muscle mass index
How to build your muscle strength
All adults should do strengthening activities which help make their muscles stronger twice per week, MedlinePlus reveals.
This can include lifting weights, working with exercise bands, and doing sit-ups and pushups. However, you don’t have to go to the gym to gain muscle. Many everyday activities such as heavy gardening, climbing stairs, pushing a pushchair and yoga classes all help to strengthen muscles.
A strength exercise is any activity that makes your muscles work harder than usual, increasing their strength, size, power and endurance. It’s important to choose activities you enjoy that work all the different parts of the body, including your legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms.
If your muscles are worked to the point where you need a short rest before continuing, that’s a sign you are working hard enough. A study found that eating one common nut every day can reduce muscle soreness after working out.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a board-certified family physician who specializes in skeletal muscle to support longevity. She gained her medical degree in osteopathic medicine from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine.
