Health Farm

-- Weight training is good for your health, including your neurons, but aerobic fitness is possibly better for metabolic health.

A study published in August in JAMA Network Open shows that people’s aerobic endurance influences metabolism more potently than muscular strength.

Physical activity is widely accepted as being good for our health, with blood analysis showing elevated levels of certain particles of high-density lipoprotein, or ‘good’ cholesterol, and desirable ratios of proteins important for heart health.

Scandinavian researchers set out to learn more about the benefits bestowed by different forms of exercise, testing the performance of 580 young Finnish men called up for military training.

The men rode stationary bicycles and heaved weights. Their overall performance was ranked according to aerobic capacity and strength.

Further testing checked their blood for metabolites, setting up a comparison of metabolomes of the aerobically fittest men against those who were out of shape, and, separately, the strongest against the weakest.

The metabolite profiles for the strength assessment were relatively consistent – few differences were detected between the stronger men and weaklings.

However, men with the best aerobic fitness produced blood with the same desirable molecular signature scientists had found in earlier research, including high levels of certain particles of good cholesterol and healthy ratios of proteins and fatty acids. The blood of the men who were out of shape displayed different metabolites.

These results, which generally held true when the scientists controlled for body composition, exercise habits and other factors, suggest that aerobic capacity affects metabolism substantially more than muscular strength.

Running may outmuscle weights, if you are concerned about your metabolic health.