Prolong your life by increasing your muscle power.
Prolong your life by increasing your muscle power. That’s the main message of a study presented today at EuroPrevent 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology.
“Rising from a chair in old age and kicking a ball depend more on muscle power than muscle strength, yet most weight bearing exercise focuses on the latter,” said study author Professor Claudio Gil Araújo, director of research and education, Exercise Medicine Clinic – CLINIMEX, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Our study shows for the first time that people with more muscle power tend to live longer.”
Power depends on the ability to generate force and velocity, and to coordinate movement. In other words, it is the measure of the work performed per unit time (force times distance); more power is produced when the same amount of work is completed in a shorter period or when more work is performed during the same period. Climbing stairs requires power – the faster you climb, the more power you need. Holding or pushing a heavy object (for example a car with a dead battery) needs strength.
Professor Araújo said: “Power training is carried out by finding the best combination of speed and weight being lifted or moved. For strength training at the gym most people just think about the amount of weight being lifted and the number of repetitions without paying attention to the speed of execution. But for optimal power training results, you should go beyond typical strength training and add speed to your weight lifts.”
Read more at European Society of Cardiology
Image: One foot is placed in front of the other to protect the lower back. The bar is pulled up as fast as possible and increased weights are progressively used until a maximal power reading is obtained. Power is measured in watts and expressed in absolute terms as well as relative (per kg of body weight). (Credit: Exercise Medicine Clinic - CLINIMEX)
