DOING AROUND ONE to two hours of resistance training per week is linked to a lower risk of early death, heart disease and neurological conditions, according to a new study, but researchers say there is no added health benefit beyond roughly two hours weekly.

The British Medical Journey’s findings, based on three long-running US health cohorts involving more than 147,000 participants followed for up to 30 years, suggest that moderate strength training offers clear mortality benefits, particularly when combined with aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling.

The study found that people doing 60 to 119 minutes of resistance training per week had the lowest overall risk of death from any cause, with a reduction of about 13%, compared with those who did none.

Benefits were also seen for cardiovascular and neurological disease mortality, with reductions of up to 19% and 27% respectively.

However, researchers found that increasing strength training beyond around 120 minutes per week did not produce further improvements, suggesting a plateau effect.

Cancer-related mortality showed a different pattern, with reduced risk mainly seen at lower levels of resistance training (under one hour per week), while higher volumes showed no additional benefit.

The analysis also found that while strength training alone was associated with modest reductions in risk, aerobic activity had a stronger overall effect on mortality reduction.

But crucially, combining the two forms of exercise produced the greatest benefit. Participants who met higher levels of both resistance and aerobic activity had the lowest observed risk of premature death.

Those meeting very high aerobic activity levels saw reduced mortality risk regardless of how much resistance training they did.

The authors say resistance training may reduce mortality risk through improvements in muscle mass, glucose regulation, body composition and metabolic health, while also influencing cardiovascular function.

However, they suggest the plateau effect at higher levels could reflect biological limits to benefit, or possible trade-offs such as hormonal changes, including elevated insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which has been linked in some studies to certain cancer risks.

Strength training is increasingly common in Ireland, with estimates suggesting hundreds of thousands of people now hold gym memberships nationwide, though participation remains uneven.

The HSE’s public health guidance already recommends adults include muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days per week, alongside at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise.