Strength Training Effects on Muscle Health in Older Women

This research study invites older women (ages 60–79) to participate in a 12-week strength training program. The study is designed to understand how resistance exercises—like lifting weights or using resistance bands—affect muscle quality, immune function, and physical performance. Researchers want to see whether strength training works differently for women with obesity compared to women at a normal weight.

As women age, their muscles naturally weaken and become infiltrated with fat tissue, and their immune systems can become inflamed—problems that are often worse in women with obesity. While strength training is known to build muscle mass, researchers haven't fully studied how it improves muscle quality or immune health specifically in older women, or whether results differ based on weight.