Researchers at the University at Buffalo, New York, tracked over 5,000 women from the ages of 63 to 99 over an eight year period. They discovered that stronger muscles contributed to a lower risk of death.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
Grip Strength Measurements Tracked to Longevity
The researchers measured muscle strength through testing participants’ grip strength and how quickly they could complete five sit-to-stand chair raises without assistance. They’re tests commonly used for the same purpose in clinical settings.
“In a community cohort of ambulatory older women, muscular strength was associated with significantly lower mortality rates, even when we accounted for usual physical activity and sedentary time measured using a wearable monitor, gait speed and blood C-reactive protein levels,” Michael LaMonte, study lead author and research professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University at Buffalo, told Fox News Digital.
Because previous studies did not account for those objective measurements, it was challenging to decipher whether muscle strength was tied to longevity, LaMonte said.
“Our study was able to better isolate the association between strength and death in later life,” he continued.
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