Strength & Muscle Mass Topic Guide

Curated clips, articles, and podcast episodes

Skeletal muscle is one of the most important determinants of healthspan. It supports metabolic health, protects against injury and frailty, and enables the physical capacity required to maintain independence as we age. Declines in muscle mass and strength are strongly associated with higher risk of chronic disease, disability, and mortality. Understanding how to build and preserve muscle is therefore essential for anyone interested in extending both lifespan and healthspan.

fundamentals

Fundamentals

Muscle mass and strength are powerful predictors of longevity. Higher strength levels are associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and better metabolic health, while loss of muscle contributes to frailty, falls, and loss of independence. In practical terms, muscle represents a critical form of physiologic reserve—one that allows us to tolerate illness, maintain mobility, and function well later in life.

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Strength & Muscle Mass Topic Guide

Curated clips, articles, and podcast episodes

How strength training supports longevity and quality of life

Increasing mortality risk associated with declining muscle mass and strength

The longevity benefits of consuming adequate protein and strength training to preserve muscle mass and strength

The profound impact training can have on the overall quality of life

The critical importance of working to maintain muscle mass and strength as we age

Muscle size vs. strength

How resistance training enhances metabolic health and body composition even in lean individuals

Advice for the older person and why it’s never too late to start

Peak capacity for strength as a person ages and variations in men and women

Changes in muscle and muscular function that occur with aging

Muscle loss with age and inactivity and the importance of resistance exercise to maintain type II muscle fibers

Muscle mass function, loss with aging, and the cutoff points for sarcopenia

Relative importance of muscle size vs muscle strength

What drives muscle hypertrophy

Hypertrophy changes in muscle fibers and the underlying mechanisms that make a muscle grow

How protein intake impacts muscle mass and why pairing it with resistance training is significantly more effective

The importance of protein in stimulating muscle protein synthesis

Review of muscle fiber types

Review of the function and organization of skeletal muscle

Muscle protein synthesis and the importance of leucine

The role of protein carbohydrates and insulin on muscle growth and preservation

What’s really driving muscle growth intrinsic vs. systemic factors, IGF, and hormone signaling

Muscle protein synthesis in a trained athlete vs. untrained individual following a resistance training program

Explaining hypertrophy and what happens at the cellular level when a muscle grows

Muscle fibers modulation between fiber types with movement and changes in fibers with training and aging

Dietary protein distribution and quantity for the maximization of muscle protein synthesis

Optimizing muscle protein synthesis

The basics of how proteins are digested and absorbed and how muscle protein synthesis is measured

Low-rep training compound movements and more tips for the average person

Creating an effective fitness routine that fits into a busy schedule

How important is rep speed and time under tension

Mike's low-stress high-consistency method for training beginners to resistance training

Training for strength advice for beginners and non-powerlifters

Training advice for a hypothetical client who's untrained and wants to add muscle and functional strength for longevity

An efficient and effective resistance training program for beginners with limited time

Best resources for those wanting to get started lifting weights effectively and safely

Lifting weights: the importance of challenging yourself, how to avoid injury, monitoring progress, and staying motivated

Important cues to look for while lifting weights

Maximizing hypertrophy while minimizing fatigue—is it necessary to train to muscular failure

Training for maximum strength

Measuring and tracking muscle mass and strength

Periodization training: what it is and why it is beneficial

Sustainable and effective approaches to maximizing muscle growth

The relationship between training intensity and volume

How women should approach training intensity and volume across the menstrual cycle

How to preserve muscle while trying to lose weight

Adapting strength training to manage chronic back injuries and train for longevity

The impact of fasting on muscle mass and the potential tradeoffs to consider

How to preserve muscle and bone while using GLP-1 RA medications

Hypothetical Ttraining program for a 50-year-old

Ideal sets and reps for the hypothetical 50-year-old male interested in hypertrophy

Nutrition plan for the hypothetical 50-year-old woman starting a program to build lean muscle

Improving bone mineral density through resistance training

The best low-impact exercises for individuals with joint issues

Optimizing protein quantity, distribution, and quality

Is there a tradeoff between muscle size and aerobic capacity?

Muscle Mass and Cognitive Function

New insights on maximizing protein utilization for muscle protein synthesis

Resistance training partially reverses some of the hallmarks of aging type II muscle fibers

Research Worth Sharing, October 2024 Edition

My recent lesson in overtraining – and in the power of seeing first-hand the impacts of positive health changes

With exercise, results matter more than “time served”

Does low iron intake change exercise capacity?

You’re never too old to start exercising – just ask a 93-year-old rowing champion

Can a new drug mimic the effects of exercise on bone and muscle?

Avoiding Injury Part II: Grip Strength

Avoiding Injury Part I: Eccentric Strength

Why do we lose muscle strength with age?

Does Exercise Affect Lifespan?

Can you maintain muscle during fasting?

Can you preserve lean body mass during “semi-starvation?”

Ketones, fasting, and muscle loss

Building strength and muscle mass: how to optimize training, nutrition, and more for longevity

The importance of muscle mass, strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness for longevity

Training for longevity: A roundtable on building strength, preventing injury, meeting protein needs, guidance for women and youth athletes, and more

Women’s health and performance: how training, nutrition, and hormones interact across life stages

Exercise: longevity-focused training, goal setting, improving deficiencies, managing emotional stress, and more

Preserving brain health, optimizing exercise programming, improving body composition, and more