Unlocking Longevity: The Importance of Muscle Power and Strength

As one ages, maintaining physical fitness becomes increasingly important —not just for quality of life but also for longevity. While muscle strength is a familiar concept, growing research shows that muscle power—the ability to exert force quickly—is a crucial factor in predicting one’s longevity. Muscle strength and muscle power are two separate but related concepts. They may sound like twins, but they’re more like cousins. Muscle strength is typically measured by how much force one can exert in a fairly controlled movement, such as a bodybuilder pressing hundreds of pounds on a leg-press machine. Muscle power, on the other hand, combines strength with speed — it’s the ability to move a weight quickly. For instance, performing a substantial bench press isn’t the same as hoisting a heavy hay bale on a farm in one swift motion. A bodybuilder has more controlled strength for a bench press, but the farmer builds more dynamic power for the field. Both are strong but in very different ways. Similar examples apply to daily life. One’s ability to slowly sit or stand while maintaining stability in the lower limbs exhibits muscle strength. Rising with speed from that chair without using the hands requires muscle power. In this scenario, the legs generate force with speed to stand rapidly. Both muscle strength and muscle power are critical components of fall prevention, a critical issue as one ages. Being able to maintain an upright posture while walking takes strength, while being able to quickly recover balance or footing after slipping or stumbling requires muscle power and agility.

Muscle markers

A recently published study compared muscle power and muscle strength as predictors of mortality in middle-aged and older adults. Data was collected from over 3,800 people ages 46 to 75—about two-thirds men and one-third women— who participated in an exercise study between 2001 and 2022. Participants had comprehensive health and fitness evaluations, including tests of muscle power and strength. The study focused on a general population, and participants were followed for nearly 22 years. Over the follow-up period, 12.4% of participants died—14.2% of men and 8.9% of women. When researchers analyzed the data, they found a clear trend: People with lower muscle power had significantly higher death rates over the course of the study compared with those with higher muscle power. This relationship held true for both men and women. The risk of death over the course of the study for those in the lowest category of muscle power was nearlynsix times higher for men and seven times higher for women. For practical reasons, muscle power and strength were measured only in the upper body in the study.

Holding more weight

Muscle power may be more relevant to real-world tasks and overall function, especially with increasing age. Additionally, muscle power decreases earlier and worsens more rapidly with age compared with muscle strength. This makes power an earlier indicator of declining physical function.

This study suggests that assessing muscle power could be useful in clinical settings. Assessing strength has long been used as a marker of health in older adults, such as through the traditional hand-grip test. Muscle power is less commonly measured. This is partly because assessing power requires more specialized equipment and procedures. Assessing muscle power may involve the use of not only muscles but also joints which may be particularly challenging for people with osteoarthritis. One test is the 30-second chair stand. This involves a person moving from to a sitting position a standing (sit-to-stand maneuver) as many times as possible in 30 seconds.

Fitness for life

The findings of this study support the idea that exercise programs for middle-aged and older adults should include power-based movements, not just slow, controlled weightlifting. For decades, traditional strength and resistance training has focused on sets, repetitions and the amount of weight lifted, with less attention paid to the speed of movement. Power training, which emphasizes moving weights as quickly as possible, is gaining popularity in both sports and clinical settings. Examples include fast-paced sit-to-stand exercises, stair climbing, and other activities that combine force and speed. According to experts in sports medicine, an important factor is community setting. Starting a new physical activity within a group setting that offers commitment, accountability and fun, provides maximum incentive to keep going. To keep and improve muscle power, one’s best bet is to create a weekly exercise schedule and participate in a group, if possible.

Some of the most popular exercises for improving muscle power include high-velocity resistance training (HVRT), (see illustration below) also known as “jump training,” which increases explosive power.

DEMONSTRATION OF POWER TRAINING

Below are shown popular exercises for muscle power training. They are best done with resistance machines in a gym. To maximize muscle power with these exercises, start with lower weight or resistance. The goal is to shorten the muscles involved as quickly as possible, then allow for a smooth and relaxed lengthening.

Include some of the following exercises