The insulin resistance associated with aging may be due, in part, to reduced levels of
physical activity in the elderly. We hypothesized that strength training increases insulin
action in older individuals. To test this hypothesis, 11 healthy men 50–63 yr old [mean 58+/-
1 (SE) yr] underwent a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic glucose clamp with concurrent
indirect calorimetry and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before and after 16 wk of
strength training. The training program increased overall strength by 47%(P< 0.001). Fat�…

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) decreases with age, largely because of an age-related
decline in fat-free mass (FFM). We hypothesized that a strength-training program capable of
eliciting increases in FFM would also increase RMR in older individuals. To test this
hypothesis, RMR, body composition, and plasma concentrations of certain hormones known
to affect RMR were measured before and after a 16-wk heavy-resistance strength-training
program in 13 healthy men 50–65 yr of age. Average strength levels, assessed by the three�…