Science Reveals Why Exercise Takes Longer to Pay Off as You Get Older

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

• Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, begins subtly in midlife and accelerates with age, increasing your risk of frailty, falls, and fractures
• As your body ages, muscles become less responsive to training, and physical gains come more slowly, even when effort and consistency remain the same
• A 2025 study published in Nature Communications found that older muscles fail to activate key growth pathways and repair signals after exercise, explaining the reduced adaptation
• Despite slower gains, exercise remains essential not just for physical strength but also for brain function, heart health, immune regulation, and metabolic resilience across the aging process
• Longevity benefits peak at around 40 to 60 minutes of strength training per week; exceeding this reverses the gains and increases the risk of overtraining