Does strength promoting exercise confer unique health benefits? A pooled analysis of eleven population cohorts with all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality endpoints

Abstract

Public health guidance includes strength-promoting exercise (SPE) but there is little evidence on its links with mortality. Using data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) and Scottish Health Survey (SHS) from 1994–2008 we examined the associations between SPE (gym-based and own bodyweight strength activities) and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression examine the associations between SPE (any, low/high volume, adherence to SPE guideline) and mortality. The core sample comprised 80,306 adults aged ≥30 years corresponding to 5,763 any cause deaths (681,790 person years). Following exclusions for prevalent disease/events in the first 24 months, participation in any SPE was favorably associated with all cause (0.77; 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 0.87) and cancer mortality (0.69; 0.56, 0.86). Adhering only to the SPE guideline of (≥2 sessions/week) was associated with all-cause (0.79; 0.66, 0.94) and cancer (0.66; 0.48, 0.92) mortality; adhering only to the aerobic guideline (equivalent to 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity activity) was associated with all-cause (0.84; 0.78, 0.90) and cardiovascular disease (0.78; 0.68, 0.90) mortality. Adherence to both guidelines was associated with all-cause (0.71; 0.57, 0.87), and cancer (0.70; 0.50, 0.98) mortality. Our results support promoting adherence to the strength exercise guidelines over and above the generic physical activity targets.