Resistance Training Tied to Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome

By Kelly Young

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS

Doing resistance exercise is associated with reduced risk for developing metabolic syndrome, regardless of whether the person also does aerobic exercise, according to a cohort study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Roughly 7400 middle-aged adults underwent detailed physical exams and provided information on their aerobic and resistance exercise habits. During a median 4 years' follow-up, 15% of participants developed metabolic syndrome.

After adjustment for potential confounders like aerobic exercise levels, doing any resistance exercise was associated with lower risk for metabolic syndrome, compared with no resistance training (hazard ratio, 0.83). People who met guidelines for recommended amounts of both resistance exercise (≥2 days/wk) and aerobic exercise (≥500 metabolic equivalent min/wk) had a 25% lower risk for metabolic syndrome than those who didn't hit the recommended amounts.

The authors conclude that providers "should routinely recommend resistance exercise training, in addition to aerobic training" to help prevent metabolic syndrome and reduce future CVD risk.