Weight training: the elixir of youth

by Dr Norman Swan

Scientists have discovered that weight training is an anti-ageing treatment - it can rejuvenate old and damaged muscle tissue.

07 07 2008

Scientists have discovered the elixir of youth – but it's not actually an elixir.

One of the things that makes people feel old is that you can't get around the way you used to; lifting becomes a problem and you generally feel weaker.

The reason is that your muscles are becoming older, thinner and a bit more feeble. The technical term is sarcopaenia, and if it continues, sarcopaenia can be part of the reason elderly people end up in a nursing home or requiring major care.

One reason our muscles clap out as we age is that the energy factories inside our cells – little things called mitochondria – become progressively damaged by the side products of energy production: free radicals.

Researchers discovered by accident that when you stress old muscle in the test tube, for some reason old mitochondria seem to be hoovered up, and refreshed muscle grows back.

So they tried a natural way of stressing muscle, namely progressive weight training: and lo and behold, the mitochondria and muscles appeared to rejuvenate.

Adding the performance-enhancing substance creatine to the weight training also gave some added benefit to the older people.

Unfortunately they've yet to come up with a way of fixing the mitochondria in wrinkles, but I'll be the first to let you know when they do.