Three days is the magic number when it comes to ‘significant’ gains in pumping iron in the gym, Australian researchers say.
Scientists said the results show the importance of regular, frequent exercise when it comes to building muscle.
People who exercised at least three days a week saw their strength increase by up to 4 percent, while those who trained only twice saw no significant improvement.
The experts behind the study said it shows that even small amounts of regular exercise add up compared to infrequent bursts.
In the experiment, scientists placed 26 young people on a four-week exercise regimen where they performed a single three-second exercise on their biceps.
People who exercised at least three days a week saw their strength increase by up to four percent, while those who trained only twice saw no improvement. The experts behind the study said it shows that even small amounts of regular exercise add up compared to infrequent bursts
One million patients, who were at a healthy weight with a body mass index (BMI) of 18 to 25, would cost the NHS an average of £638 each in 2019, the study’s final year. By comparison, severely obese patients with a BMI of 40 and above cost more than double – £1,375 a year. Meanwhile, the NHS spent £979 a year on obese patients with a BMI of 30 to 35, which increased to £1,178 a year for those with a BMI of 35-40
Half of the group did the exercise three days a week, the rest only twice a week.
At the end of the four weeks, experts from Edith Cowan University compared muscle strength to measurements taken before the experiment began.
Publish their results the European Journal of Applied Physiology they found it those who did the exercises three days a week saw their bicep strength increase by 2.5 percent when lifting and 3.9 percent when lowering weights.
In comparison, those who did the exercise just twice a week saw no significant change in strength.
Study leader Professor Ken Nosaka, an expert in sports science, said the results show where the “tipping point” was in getting results from your training.
“We have a clearer sense of where the tipping point is where you start to see meaningful benefits from such minimal exercise,” he said.
“These new results suggest that at least three days a week are needed, at least for the single three-second eccentric contraction workout.
“Muscles seem to like to be stimulated more often, especially for the small volume of strengthening exercise.”
However, he added that while logic might suggest that even more exercise, say five days a week, would yield better results, this was not necessarily true.
“Muscle adaptations happen when we rest, so muscles need rest to improve their strength and their muscle mass,” he said.
Professor Nosaka said that while more research was needed to see if similar tipping points applied to other exercises, the results were encouraging for people who struggled to find time for a full workout.
“It may be that exercising for 2 hours once a week is less effective than exercising for 20 minutes every day,” he said.
‘If it is not possible to move for 20 minutes a day, even 5 minutes a day makes a difference to fitness and health.’
NHS guidelines suggest that adults should get 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, spread over four to five days.
The health benefits of regular exercise have been well established for decades.
Keeping fit can prevent obesity and its associated health effects, such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. It may also improve bone strength and mental well-being.
However, a study by Essex researchers last year suggested that only one in 20 adults in England get the recommended amount of physical activity per week.
Lack of exercise, combined with an unhealthy diet, has been blamed for the growing obesity epidemic in the UK.
The latest NHS data shows that 26 per cent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 per cent are overweight but not obese.
One third of Americans are overweight, while four in ten are obese.
A groundbreaking study published in May also revealed that the UK’s bulging waistline takes billions of pounds off the cramped NHS every year, with twice as much being spent on obese patients as on those of a healthy weight.
The cost per patient increases dramatically as people weigh more because they “accumulate obesity-related conditions” such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, according to research involving nearly 2.5 million people.