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Training & movement

B · Reasonable confidence

What strength training does for strength and muscle growth in women

Subject: Strength training in women: strength and hypertrophy

What this means

Strength training produced large gains in upper and lower body strength in women and a medium gain in muscle size. Training more often and doing more work was linked to greater strength gains.

Hagstrom AD, Marshall PW, Halaki M, Hackett DA · 2020 · Sports Medicine 50(6):1075-1093

What does this rating mean?

A solid systematic review with caveats, or consistent indications with a limited scope.

Findings

An analysis of strength training effects specifically in women, a group underrepresented in much of the older literature.

Who this applies to

Healthy adult women.

Size of the research

24 studies, lasting between 4 weeks and 12 months.

What to keep in mind

Mostly favourable results seemed to get published. After correcting for this, the gain in leg strength was medium. The quality of the studies was moderate.

Practical conclusion for REZA

Relevant because a substantial share of the literature is based on men. Assumptions aren't carried over without checking.

View method and source

Methodology

Systematic review with meta-analysis

Original source

DOI: 10.1007/s40279-019-01247-x · PMID: 31820374

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This information is general education about scientific research. It is not personal medical advice and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a doctor or other healthcare professional. If you have symptoms, a medical condition or take medication, consult your GP or treating professional before changing your training or nutrition.