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Women and Weight Training

A new study found long-term weight training helps a woman's bone and metabolic health by increasing production of the growth hormone making weight training a particularly important addition to women's fitness regimen. Researchers found the growth hormone helps fight tissue breakdown, can improve metabolic function and fight off stress fractures as well as build muscle. This growth hormone -- produced in the pea-sized pituitary gland at the base of the skull -- plays a more important role in bone and muscle development in women than men, who rely more on testosterone, the male sex hormone. Four training groups did 25-35 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week and 3 to 12 repetitions of moderate to heavy strength or resistance training three times a week. The different exercise groups had varied  increases of growth-hormone variants, however, weight training significantly increased all the women's active growth hormone levels. Weight training ... not just for muscles!