Is there more muscle damage after intense workouts as you age? Research is in

Here's another reason to power through resistance training and don't let age hold you back.

By Steph Green Published November 11, 2024

Man with shirt off in gym lifting one dumbbell — Ronin / Pexels

There are lots of factors that can change as you age. Many people find it more difficult to finish that same fitness routine as they get older. As the decades roll on, it might seem more challenging to bounce back after a long night and power through a deadlift, bench press, and bicep curl. Recently, researchers set out to determine if the muscle damage caused by training is more severe for those later in life compared to younger adults. Let’s take a look at these interesting results that might just prompt you to hit the gym or pick up those dumbbells.

The study

Man doing Smith machine squats — Fotofabrika / Adobe Stock

In a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers compared 16 elite resistance-trained male athletes. Half the participants were around 22 years old and were categorized into the younger male athlete group. The other half were around 52 years old and referred to as the ‘master’ male athletes. The participants were matched for squat strength for the best outcome.

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Both age groups finished ten sets of half squats with a load of 70% of their one-rep max. Researchers monitored changes in biomarkers of inflammation, muscle damage, and recovery before the workout, immediately after the workout, and over 72 hours later.

The results

Oone-arm dumbbell row in a bent-over position with emphasis on the leg by an athlete in shorts and a T-shirt — Brian Metzler / Adobe Stock

The study showed that both age groups had similar muscle damage after 24 hours. Both groups had immediate increases in the cytokine interleukin-6 and growth hormone after the workout. The researchers found that both the ‘young’ and ‘master’ resistance-trained athletes had a similar degree of muscle damage with no significant differences between the groups found in any of the other markers. Interestingly, there was a similar inflammatory response, which could mean that older trainees with experience and at the same performance level also develop adaptations to help them recover from intense workouts, just like younger athletes.

The takeaway

man wearing blue tank sitting in gym doing dumbbell concentration curl on bench — Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels

While this was a small study performed on elite athletes, it’s still encouraging that as you age, you can still bounce back from intense workouts if you have some experience lifting and resistance training. Older and younger adults have similar muscle damage and can recover from strenuous exercise. Training throughout the years helps you preserve muscle mass and function. More research is needed specifically in this area, but it’s promising to know that we should never let age hold us back from training at a higher level and building serious muscle power.

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Workouts

Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…

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