Weight training leads to less stomach fat than running and cycling

But new research shows they have hit on a winning formula, as weight training could be the key to keeping the middle age stomach-bulge at bay.

Weight training was more effective for maintaining a flat stomach than aerobic exercise, which includes running and cycling, a study found.

Healthy men who did 20 minutes of daily weight training had less of an increase in abdominal fat as they aged, compared with men who spent the same time doing aerobic exercise, researchers discovered.

The findings showed combining weight training and aerobic activity led to the most optimal results.

Overall, men carrying out aerobic exercise gained less weight overall than those who carried out weight training alone.

However, researchers warned measuring abdominal fat was a better way of gauging healthy ageing than body weight.

Dr Rania Mekary, of Harvard School of Public Health, and the study's lead author, said: 'Because ageing is associated with sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass, relying on body weight alone is insufficient for the study of healthy ageing.

'Measuring waist circumference is a better indicator of healthy body composition among older adults.

'Engaging in resistance training or, ideally, combining it with aerobic exercise could help older adults lessen abdominal fat while increasing or preserving muscle mass.'

This was the first long-term study to look at a large sample of healthy men with a wide range of body mass index (BMI).

The team studied the physical activity, waist circumference and body weight of 10,500 healthy American men aged 40 or more.

They compared changes in the participants' activity levels over a 12-year period to see which activities had the most effect on their waistlines.

Those who increased the amount of time spent in weight training by 20 minutes a day had less gain in their waistline compared with men who similarly increased the amount of time they spent on moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise, and yard work or stair climbing.

Those who increased the amount of time they spent sat down, such as watching TV, had a larger gain in their waistline. 

The study's senior author Frank Hu, also of Harvard School of Public Health, said: 'This study underscores the importance of weight training in reducing abdominal obesity, especially among the elderly.

'To maintain a healthy weight and waistline, it is critical to incorporate weight training with aerobic exercise.'

The news comes after 2012 U.S. study gave men another reason to keep a toned body – it can reduce the risk of diabetes.

Regular weight training can cut the chances of developing the most common form of the disease by up to 34 per cent, it said.

Adding aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or running, can lead to even greater benefits, the research showed. 

(dailymail.co.uk)