Earlier in the week, you practiced synthesizing sources and came to a conclusion about the issue about restaurant sheds in NYC. Now, you will place five sources on your template(s) and synthesize these selected sources. You may discover one or more of the sources on the matrix aren’t useful. That’s normal. Part of the research process is figuring out which sources are helpful and deleting ones that are not. You may go back to your potential sources or conduct more targeted searches for additional sources. This can seem frustrating to new researchers, but it is part of the process. The more you learn, the more you know about a topic and your searches will become more targeted.
Instructions: Place five credible sources on your matrix template(s). Next, begin making connections (synthesizing) among the sources. One method is to ask a set of questions about the way your sources respond to the issue you are researching. I try to group similar subissues together because I can build my argument around them.
Are any of the sources more authoritative than the others?
Where do the sources find common ground? Where do the sources agree?
Where do the sources disagree?
Where are their gaps that none of the sources can answer?
Finally, write down the conclusion you developed based on the synthesis of your sources.
For example:
Point A: Agreement: Most studies agree that resistance training benefits middle-aged women (Whit, A. 2019; Carlise, B. 2020; Rengon, D. 2018). The benefits include increased muscle mass, higher bone density, and lower BMI.
Point B: Which regimen is better: One area of disagreement is what type of resistance training benefits women the most. Whit, 2019 favored a low-reps/high-weight regimen. Carlise, 2020 found high-rep/low resistance was better tolerated by women. I think it depends on the individual and their fitness status. Either one is beneficial, therefore it should be an individual choice.
Point C: How long do the benefits last? One shortcoming of the studies is they are limited in length to a few weeks or months. Duration of benefits is unclear beyond that timeframe. Rengon, 2018 found a lasting benefit after a year of training. However, Whit, 2019 failed to find any benefit 6-months after training was discontinued. I don’t think it’s reasonable to believe the benefits last after training stops. Therefore, I think women should consider weight training is a lifestyle change.
Point D: How does weight training affect body composition? Only one study investigated the mechanism of weight training on body composition. Carlise, 2020 found that weight training caused the muscle cells to release a hormone that travel to fat cells and causes lysis. According to Carlise, muscle building displaces fat.
My conclusion: Weight training is beneficial for middle-aged women regardless of how they train as long as they are consistent. The training changes body composition by increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat as well as building bone. Experts disagree about the best regimens or how long the results will last, but the weight of the evidence indicates that weight training is beneficial for middle-aged women and should be a consistent part of a balanced exercise program.
