Exercise! Beneficial Effects of Resistance Training on Variables of General Health

A recent investigation by Croymans et.al. (Croymans. 2010) confirms, what I keep preaching day by day. There is nothing like exercise when it comes to improving general health. In this study the effects of resistance training (RT) on 12 sedentary, overweight, young adult males (body mass index, BMI=32.2±3.1 kg/m2), randomized in a 3:1 fashion to a RT group (12 wks of training at 3/wk) or a control group (C, 12 wks of no training) was investigated. The positive results speak for themselves. Other than those who continued sitting on their asses, the members of the RT group experienced

"a significant increase in lean body mass (LBM) (RT: 69.1±7.7 vs.71.7±8.5, C: 66.2±3.1 vs. 66.0±3.5 kg, p<0.03) and leg press 1-RM (RT: 298±32 vs. 365±32, C: 279±56 vs. 279±46 kg, p<0.03), chest press 1-RM (RT: 80±15 vs. 102±19, C: 77± 25 vs. 79±29 kg, p<0.01), and seated row 1-RM (RT: 88±13 vs. 106±12, C: 86±17 vs. 81±11 kg, p<0.03). There was a trend towards an improvement in glucose tolerance in the RT group by total glucose area under the curve analysis (RT: -6.7±9.2%, C: +1.2±15.2%, p<0.23)." (Croymans. 2010)

Another result of the study is yet of special importance. The subjects did not lose large amounts of weight. So take my advice and throw your scale away: The changes in body composition will take their time and will eventually require some dietary changes. So, keep training and tweak your diet according to the sound advice from nutritional scientists as the one available at the SuppVersity.