Muscle-strengthening activity is linked to 10–17% lower mortality, with the largest drop at 30–60 minutes a week
How much strength training is enough for longevity?
The finding
Any muscle-strengthening activity against none: all-cause mortality RR 0.85 (0.79–0.93). The lowest risk, RR 0.83, came at about 40 minutes a week, and risk stayed below baseline up to about 140 minutes a week.
- Authors
- Momma H, Kawakami R, Honda T, Sawada SS
- Published
- British Journal of Sports Medicine 56(13):755–63 · 2022
- Evidence
- Read in the primary source; numbers checked.
- Source
- doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061
How it was studied
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 prospective cohorts.
The numbers
Cardiovascular disease RR 0.83 (0.73–0.93), total cancer 0.88 (0.80–0.97), diabetes 0.83 (0.77–0.89). Combined strength and aerobic activity against neither: CVD mortality RR 0.54.
The all-cause estimate came from 7 studies and 263,058 people, with high heterogeneity (I² 83%). GRADE certainty for all-cause mortality was very low.
What it does not show
Self-reported activity, mostly US cohorts, residual confounding. The J-shape at high volumes is uncertain; it is not evidence of harm from more training.
What Longstanding does with it
The app’s training cues are small additions to whatever you already do, a few minutes a session. There is no program to buy, and we do not prescribe a weekly strength dose.