Lynda Ransdell

Dr. Lynda Ransdell

Department of Health Sciences and Center for Health Equity Research, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

6Years (2021-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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14 September 2021 in Women
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Lynda RansdellLynda Ransdell
Lynda Ransdell
HWHeidi Wayment
Heidi Wayment
NLNanette Lopez
Nanette Lopez
CLCori Lorts
Cori Lorts
ASAnna L. Schwartz
Anna L. Schwartz
RCRicky Camplain
Ricky Camplain
As women age, they typically experience a progressive decrease in skeletal muscle mass and strength, which can lead to a decline in functional fitness and quality of life. Resistance training (RT) has the potential to attenuate these losses. Although well established for men, evidence regarding the benefits of RT for women is sparse and inconsistent: prior reviews include too few studies with women and do not adequately examine the interactive or additive impacts of workload, modalities, and nutritional supplements on outcomes such as muscle mass (MM), body composition (BC), muscle strength (MS), and functional fitness (FF). The purpose of this review is to identify these gaps. Thirty-eight papers published between 2010 and 2020 (in English) represent 2519 subjects (mean age = 66.89 ± 4.91 years). Intervention averages include 2 to 3 × 50 min sessions across 15 weeks with 7 exercises per session and 11 repetitions per set. Twelve studies (32%) examined the impact of RT plus dietary manipulation. MM, MS, and FF showed positive changes after RT. Adding RT to fitness regimens for peri- to postmenopausal women is likely to have positive benefits.