Snijders T, et al. - Researchers assessed muscle mass and strength gains 1 year after partaking in a successful resistance type exercise training (RT) program in a cohort of healthy older adults. Any advice or incentives to continue exercise training was not provided to participants at the termination of the training program. The researchers contacted and invited all participants 1 years following completion of the training program to evaluate anthropometrics, body composition (DXA), quadriceps muscle cross-sectional area (CSA; CT-scan), muscle strength (1RM knee extension/leg press), and muscle fiber characteristics (muscle biopsy). Overall 35 participants responded, who were included in the primary analyses, and thereafter classified as subjects who had continued to perform exercise training on an individual basis (EXER group; n=16) and those who had not continued to perform any regular exercise (STOP group; n=19) following completing the RT program. Findings revealed the efficacy of prolonged RT in increasing muscle mass and strength in the older population; however, discontinuation of the supervised exercise program led to the loss of muscle mass gains and only partly preserved muscle strength gains within 1 year of completing the RT program.