WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Women who do resistance training, such as lifting weights, may have a lower risk of developing serious heart disease, especially when they also engage in aerobic activities, according to a new study published in JACC.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 117,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II. The women were followed over time, and their resistance training habits were recorded every four years. The study also tracked how much time they spent watching television, which was used as a measure of sedentary behavior.
The researchers found that women who performed more resistance training had a lower risk of major cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly heart attacks. Women who did at least two hours of resistance training per week had a 20% lower risk of major heart disease and a 44% lower risk of heart attack compared with women who did no resistance training. Each additional hour of weight training per week was linked to a 5% lower risk of major heart disease and a 14% lower risk of heart attack.
Although some of these benefits were reduced after accounting for factors such as body weight, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, the overall link between resistance training and better heart health remained strong.
The benefits were even greater among women who combined resistance training with aerobic exercise. Women who completed at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week and also performed two or more hours of resistance training had a 45% lower risk of heart attack compared with women who did no physical activity. Researchers also found that women who met recommendations for resistance training and aerobic exercise while limiting TV viewing time had the lowest risks of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
'These findings suggest that, within an already active population, RT is associated with additional reductions in CVD risk above and beyond overall aerobic activity,' said lead author Dr. Tianyue Zhang. 'Alongside aerobic activity and reductions in sedentary behavior, RT may be an important component of public health strategies for cardiovascular prevention in women.'
However, the study had some limitations as resistance training levels were self-reported, which may not always be accurate. The researchers also noted that other unmeasured factors could have influenced the results, and most participants came from similar backgrounds. In addition, the study could not determine whether certain types of resistance training were more beneficial than others.
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