Ability to lift weights quickly can mean a longer life

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190412085247.htm

by jacobedawson • 7 years ago

34 5 7 years ago

Another reason to keep at it with Crossfit.

... six to eight repetitions moving the weight as fast as possible while you contract your muscles (slow or natural speed in returning to initial position)

Fast contraction runs counter to old-school weight training advice. Interesting.

bavell• 7 years ago

Not necessarily based on my knowledge of basic exercise science (admittedly limited). There's a difference between Power and Strength, as the first few paragraphs of the article explain.

There is a major component of velocity involved in Power and athletes usually train for power to enhance their performance. I believe this is also related to "fast-twitch" muscle fibers.

Strength on the other hand is not concerned about velocity at all and only considers the muscle's ability to overcome resistance. If you're just trying to get ripped, you don't necessarily need to train for power.

Tldr; Power = Strength with velocity

tedsanders• 7 years ago

(1) This study is correlational, not causal.

(2) The summary of the study says that muscle power quartile is correlated with six-year mortality for the members of the study. But it doesn't say whether muscle power is any better than other measures like muscle strength. I.e., muscle power isn't necessarily a better predictor; it's just another predictor.

Reading the study rather than the summary might be more helpful.

pie_hacker• 7 years ago

> Prolong your life by increasing your muscle power.

This seems like a hasty conclusion to me. The researchers found a correlation between muscle power and low mortality rates, not a causation. It could be, for example, that people with generally low health levels have lower muscle power and also higher mortality rates. The study does not provide evidence that people who improve their muscle power live longer, merely that people who already have high muscle power will live longer.

Ability to lift weights quickly can mean a longer life

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