Kettlebell Training May Help Maintain Muscle Strength in Older Adults

Even people who weren’t lifeong exercisers benefited from strength training.

State College, Pa. (Nov. 21, 2024)—Kettlebell training may help reduce inflammation and increase muscle strength as we age, even in people who have not been physically active in the past. The findings from a new study will be presented at the 2024 Integrative Physiology of Exercise conference, Nov. 20–22, in State College, Pennsylvania.

Most people lose muscle mass as a normal part of aging. When muscle function declines because of muscle loss, performing daily activities and maintaining independence can become difficult. Resistance training designed to increase muscle strength and endurance can help offset age-related muscle loss and may also reduce inflammation. However, studies on weight training in older adults are limited.

In this study, adults between the ages of 60 and 80 were enrolled in a “Strength after Sixty” program at a local gym, where they participated in 12 months of kettlebell training. A kettlebell is a weight made from iron or steel shaped like a cannonball with a top handle. The participants attended training sessions twice a week for a year. The weight of the kettlebells used by the participants varied based on their strength and abilities, but they were directed to aim for a rate of perceived exertion of 7 out of 10 (vigorous activity).

After six months of training, the participants’ muscle mass increased as well as grip strength and upper leg strength. Improvements in grip strength are very relevant in older people, as there is a direct link between grip strength and all-cause and disease-specific mortality in this population.  Further results demonstrated that after 12 months indices of physical function also improved as the participants took less time to climb a flight of stairs and to complete five repeated chair stands (getting out of a chair to a standing position). Blood markers of whole-body inflammation decreased as well.

The findings of this study emphasize the idea that it isn’t too late to begin an exercise routine later in life to improve health. “We had a mix of individuals from different backgrounds that had no prior exposure to resistance training and our findings demonstrate that this type of training program leads to benefits even in individuals starting at an older age,” said Davi Mázala, PhD, first author of the study.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.  

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