Although older people often moan about their muscles being sore after a good workout on the bike, new research shows adults experience less muscle soreness following exercise than younger people.
The work, carried out by a group of universities in the UK, overturns a widespread belief that older muscles are less resilient, an attitude that can lead to adults reducing physical activity.
The research provides a comprehensive analysis of how ageing affects muscle function, soreness and biochemical markers of muscle damage after exercise.
By pooling data from 36 studies, researchers found that older adults do not experience greater muscle function loss after exercise compared with younger individuals.
One striking discovery was that muscle soreness was consistently lower in older adults, with reductions of around 34% at 48 hours and 62% at 72 hours, compared with younger individuals.
Creatine kinase levels – an indicator of muscle damage – were approximately 28% lower in older adults at 24 hours post-exercise.
In the study, younger adults were categorised as between 18 to 25 years old and older adults as more than 35 years old.
The findings suggest that, despite physiological changes with age, muscle resilience remains relatively stable, allowing older individuals to continue engaging in regular physical activity without increased concern for prolonged weakness or loss of function.
Interestingly, sex appeared to play a role in muscle function recovery, with males showing slightly greater decreases in muscle function after exercise than females.
Senior author Dr Lawrence Hayes from Lancaster Medical School said the findings were significant because they challenge the widespread belief that ageing muscles recover more slowly or are more prone to exercise-induced damage.
"This misconception often discourages older adults from engaging in regular physical activity due to fears of prolonged soreness or weakness,” he said.
If older individuals experience fewer muscle damage symptoms than previously thought, recovery strategies, training programs and post-exercise care could be adjusted accordingly.
For example, older adults may not require significantly prolonged recovery periods compared with younger individuals, potentially allowing for more frequent or intense training sessions, leading to better long-term health outcomes.
"Overall, this study reinforces the importance of staying active throughout life and dispels myths that ageing equates to frailty or impaired recovery," Dr Hayes said.
"These findings could contribute to greater participation in fitness activities among older adults, improving overall health, mobility and quality of life in ageing populations.
“This means exercise has no age limit so move more to live longer and healthier. Aim for 150 minutes of activity each week, add strength training twice per week, and most importantly, find a workout you love. When you enjoy it, you're more likely to stick with it.”
The study, entitled “Advancing age is not associated with greater exercise-induced muscle damage”, is published in the Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity (JAPA).
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