60% of Older 'Non-Responders' Build Muscle When Training Volume Increases, New Study Finds
Most older adults who fail to gain muscle with low-volume training succeed with 4 sets instead of 1.
Recent research shows that 60% of older adults who fail to build muscle from a standard training program can successfully gain muscle mass and strength by simply doing more sets. The study challenges the notion that “nonresponders” are destined to fail, offering a straightforward solution that works for the majority of people who struggle to see gains.
Key Points
Increasing training volume from 1 set to 4 sets per exercise rescued muscle growth in nonresponders to low-volume training
60% of older adults were classified as nonresponders to single-set training, but most gained muscle when volume increased
Nonresponders achieved a 3.02 cm² increase in quadriceps cross-sectional area with 4 sets versus only 0.49 cm² with 1 set
Strength gains nearly doubled when nonresponders increased training volume (6.11 kg versus 2.98 kg improvement in 1-RM)
Even responders showed a tendency toward greater muscle growth with higher training volumes
Aim
Researchers investigated whether manipulating resistance training volume could overcome nonresponsiveness to muscle growth in older adults. Specifically, they examined the effects of low-volume (1 set) versus higher-volume (4 sets) training on whole muscle hypertrophy and strength gains, comparing outcomes between individuals who responded to single-set training versus those who did not.
Methods
Participants: Eighty-five healthy older adults (41 men, 44 women) with an average age of 68 ± 4 years and BMI of 26.4 ± 3.7 kg/m² participated in the study. All participants were untrained, having not engaged in any regular resistance or aerobic training for at least six months before the study.
Study Design: The study employed a within-subject unilateral design, meaning each participant served as their own control. One leg was randomly assigned to perform 1 set of unilateral knee extensions, while the opposite leg performed 4 sets of the same exercise. This clever design eliminated individual differences in genetics, nutrition, sleep, and other lifestyle factors that typically confound between-subject studies.
Training Protocol: Participants trained 2 days per week for 10 weeks. During the first two weeks, they performed 12-15 repetitions per set; from week three onward, they performed 8-12 repetitions per set. All sets were taken to concentric muscle failure (the point where they couldn’t complete another full repetition). Rest periods between sets were 60-90 seconds.
Measurements: Muscle size was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure quadriceps cross-sectional area at 50% of the thigh length. Strength was measured via unilateral 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) knee extension tests. The MRI measurement error threshold was 3.27%, and participants were classified as nonresponders if their muscle growth with 1 set fell below this threshold, and responders if it exceeded it.
Nutrition: All participants received 40 grams of whey protein daily (two 20-gram doses) to ensure adequate protein intake of approximately 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
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