You Can Build Muscle At Any Age

In a nutshell

• We can gain muscle and strength at any age by lifting relatively heavy things

• Real nutrient-dense food and sleep support those efforts

• Physical strength is a vital component of a long, healthy life

A friend told my wife that her gym manager had assured her older people cannot gain muscle.  I hoped the manager wasn’t paid much, because I already knew from my own experience that he was wrong. I decided to look for published evidence that matched what I’d seen myself. This article summarises one of the clearest studies on the topic [1].

I’ll cover:

• Muscle growth in older individuals

• The study providing the evidence

• Other articles covering muscle loss and gain in older individuals

Muscle growth in older individuals

This study supports my personal experience so far. It’s never too late to grow muscle.  Frail nursing home residents in their nineties increased the size of their thigh muscles, nearly tripled their leg strength, and walked faster after just eight weeks of lifting heavy weights.

This article is just one of many that were published years ago making a similar point [2,3].

“We conclude that high-resistance weight training leads to significant gains in muscle strength, size, and functional mobility among frail residents of nursing homes up to 96 years of age”

The study providing the evidence

• Study design

  • Participants - 10 frail, nursing home residents with an average age of 90 years

  • Duration - eight weeks

  • Frequency -  three times/week

  • Exercise -  leg extensions to strengthen quadriceps

• Results:

  • Strength Gains - average increase in strength of 174% ± 31%.

  • Muscle Growth -  mid-thigh muscle area increase of 9.0% ± 4.5%.

  • Mobility Improvement - mean tandem gait speed improved by 48%.

Summary

Unfortunately, too many of us assume that past a certain age, losing muscle mass and strength is just a fact of life.  In my opinion, this is simply wrong-headed and a real obstacle to healthy ageing.  Physical strength is essential for independence.

In my experience, lifting something heavy every week helps.  I do this through gardening and more formal strength training with calisthenics, barbells and dumbbells.  Once lifting gets easier, I increase the weight.

Maybe it’s time for our friend to find a new gym.

Other articles on muscle loss and gain in older individuals

• Managing age-related muscle loss (20 Nov 2023). As we age we lose muscle unless we train for strength, eat real food and sleep well.  Yoga, calisthenics, and weight lifting can preserve muscle mass and strength

• Plant- and animal-based proteins are not the same (3 Oct 2023). A study comparing protein sources. My age-related muscle loss is manageable with enough bioavailable protein and proper exercise. In this study pork and eggs raised blood essential amino acids more than black beans and almonds resulting in with no difference between younger and older adults

• Nutrient-Dense Low Carbohydrate Diets Outperform GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss (11 Jul 2025). Much of the weight lost on GLP-1 drugs is lean muscle.  Recipients who don’t counter this with strength training may worsen age-related muscle loss

• I need more dietary carbohydrates for strenuous exercise (26 Apr 2025) Covers strength training, high-intensity/strength-power work, muscle glycogen as fuel, and how carbohydrate needs change with exercise intensity (including weightlifting and hill sprints)

• The benefits of sauna (16 Jan 2024)  Sauna appears to reduce exercise inflammation and muscle soreness, especially after strength training, and may support new muscle growth

• The most nutritious food (27 Oct 2023)  Draws from a study about protein sources and muscle building in age-related muscle loss.  Animal protein is more likely to be absorbed and used to build muscle

• “…a healthy brain requires a meaty diet” (25 Mar 2024) Selenium helps avoid sarcopenia

• The importance of magnesium (28 Sep 2023) I use magnesium supplements to avoid muscle cramps after strength training

References

1. Fiatarone MA, Marks EC, Ryan ND, Meredith CN, Lipsitz LA, Evans WJ. High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians. Effects on skeletal muscle. JAMA. 1990 Jun 13;263(22):3029-34. PMID: 2342214

2. Foster-Burns SB. Sarcopenia and decreased muscle strength in the elderly woman: resistance training as a safe and effective intervention. J Women Aging. 1999;11(4):75-85. doi: 10.1300/J074v11n04_06. PMID: 10721690

3. Evans WJ. Reversing sarcopenia: how weight training can build strength and vitality. Geriatrics. 1996 May;51(5):46-7, 51-3; quiz 54. PMID: 8621102

---