Body Beats

Research performed recently on mice by the Boston University of Medicine (BUSM), found that weight training increases muscle mass, which can reduce body fat, which in turn reduces overall body mass and improves metabolic parameters such as insulin resistance.

Skeletal muscle consists of two types of fibers. Endurance training such as running or cycling increases the amount of type I muscle fibers, while resistance training such as weightlifting increases type II muscle fibers. “We’ve shown that type II muscle does more than allow you to pick up heavy objects,” said Kenneth Walsh of Boston University School of Medicine. “It is also important in controlling whole-body metabolism.”

What’s exciting about this research is it proves that weight training may be the tool to obesity and obesity health related problems such as diabetes and heart disease.