IF YOU NEEDED yet another reason to train arms, here it is: bigger biceps might help you live longer. And it’s not just us saying it, it’s science.
A major new study has found that people with more muscle mass in their upper arms – yes, specifically arm size – were significantly less likely to die early. The research, published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, pooled data from nearly 900,000 people and found that low muscle mass (measured by upper arm circumference, aka the guns), was consistently linked to a higher risk of death from a wide range of causes.
In fact, individuals with muscle wasting – the clinical term for declining muscle mass – had a 36% higher risk of dying from any cause. That included heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illness. And while the study looked at total muscle mass in various forms, arm circumference stood out as one of the most accessible, reliable indicators of overall muscle health.
Translation: your biceps might be telling you more about your longevity than you thought.
Why? Because muscle isn’t just for lifting weights or filling out sleeves. Muscle mass is deeply tied to metabolic health, immune function, and even how well your body recovers from illness. And when your muscle starts to fade – through age, inactivity, or illness – so does your resilience.
Arm size, it turns out, is a surprisingly good snapshot of your overall muscle reserves. It’s easy to measure, doesn’t require expensive equipment, and correlates with strength and function. It’s been used in hospitals assessments for years. Now, this new meta-analysis confirms it’s also a strong predictor of life expectancy.
So, while the obvious advice is still to focus holistically on your health, keeping your heart in good shape and being mindful or your diet (and yes, still do that), don’t neglect the limbs that keep you moving. Training for bigger arms – and let’s be serious for a minute, we’re still talking about training your entire body with a mixture of compound lifts to build a balanced physique – isn’t just about looking better. It could be about living longer.
Unfortunately a gargantuan set of pipes alone won’t make you immortal. But in a world where the science is abundant that muscle equals survival, keeping your mass – including those biceps – might just be one of the smartest health investments you can make.
Now go smash those curls. Doctor’s orders.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
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