Individual Responses to Resistance Type Exercise Training - Prof. van Loon

Invited Session at ECSS MetropolisRuhr 2017 "The Individual Human Phenotype - Effects of Genetics, Epigenetics, Exercise and Nutrition"
Individual Responses to Resistance Type Exercise Training
van Loon, L.
Maastricht University Medical Centre
Aging is associated with a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function, a condition termed sarcopenia. Resistance-type exercise training currently represents the primary therapeutic strategy recommended to prevent and reverse the age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. Previous work has shown substantial interindividual variability in resistance-type exercise- mediated changes in muscle mass and strength after a period of standardized exercise training. This has resulted in suggestions that some people may be unresponsive to the benefits of exercise interventions. We recently assessed the proposed prevalence of unresponsiveness of older men and women to augment lean body mass, muscle fiber size, muscle strength, and/or physical function following prolonged resistance-type exercise training in an older population. Though a large heterogeneity was apparent in the adaptive response to prolonged resistance-type exercise training when changes in lean body mass, muscle fiber size, strength, and physical function were assessed in older men and women, there was not a single subject that did not show a benefit on one or more of the assessed parameters. We conclude that there are no nonresponders to the benefits of resistance-type exercise training. Consequently, resistance-type exercise should be promoted without restriction to support healthy aging in the older population

[@ranpalsharma8048]

Would you please add subtitles to the videos..
Thank you

[@martinirving3824]

"What regulates muscle maintenance?"
This is the obvious question that doesn't get asked. The focus from the fitness industry is always that we must build muscle. We never hear about the importance of maintaining muscle and muscle strength.
Excellent, also, the discussion about non-response to exercise. Exercise modality and what is being measured - muscle size vs strength, or VO2 max - needs to be considered . I don't doubt there are some people who respond very poorly to steady-state cardio (they see no improvement in VO2 max). It's the exercise modality that is the problem.

[@Leonidas-eu9bb]

We don't improve vo2max or muscle strength with the standard internet endurance or weight training.
The only way to improve it is to go harder aka a more intense stimuli. EVERYONE can improve his VO2max or strength if he really wants it! The more advanced the harder it is of course. But put in the proper work intensity and it will pay off! The real factor what makes old peoples bodies old in my opinion is ... lack of motivation. My #1 tip is find a way to get motivated and stay motivated.

[@martinirving3824]

@@Leonidas-eu9bb ,
I think this is a classic case of genetics combined with the aging process. There is no doubt that high volume training can and does work for some people. There are quite a number of older marathon runners, even in their 70s, who can run impressive times, even sub-3 hours. They are able to do this largely because of high volume training (and some interval training)
But there are others that, no matter how much volume, they just don't run very fast.
In general, it does seem that, past 40 years old, there is diminishing returns on high volume training for endurance. It's like the body needs to be shocked more with intensity. And the same with strength training. We tend to lose fast twitch muscle fibers (type 2, a ,b) as we age.

[@Leonidas-eu9bb]

you should know that i'm absolute against volume training. In reality any training volume is too much. Just competing with max intensity would be the best approach.
Don't do any volume training unless you want to get slow, weak and unhealthy

[@martinirving3824]

@@Leonidas-eu9bb ,
Well, it depends on what you're trying to achieve?
Health and longevity? yeah, volume is probably not the way to go. (almost certainly).
Athletic performance at an elite level? Volume training, cyclical training stimuli, various modalities, diversity, everything has to be exploited to extract maximum performance.
I do agree with you in general. Volume training is probably not conducive to health and longevity.
There are many nuances along the way; not the least, genetics and stage of life.

[@user-zh4kc5rd8r]

@@martinirving3824 Im a non responder.Ive trained over a year and gained no muscle strenght neither endurance. Was is the volume that resulted this?I even went on a bulk of 1000 calories and only putted fat