Effects of shortening and lengthening resistance exercise with low-intensity on physical fitness and muscular function in senior adults

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify effects of shortening and lengthening low-intensity resistance exercise together with aerobic exercise on physical fitness and muscular strength in senior adults. METHOD: Seventeen males (58-72yrs) and sixteen females (58-68yrs) participated in this study: seven male and six female as control subjects, ten male and ten female as exercise subjects: these subjects completed an 8-week training program (two times/week) consisting of 15 minutes of aerobike exercise at 50% of VO 2max and six shortening-lengthening resistance exercises (3 exercises for upper body and 3 exercises for lower body). The subjects exercised resistance training (5 sec for shortening, 5 sec for lengthening) at 50% of one repetition maximum. Primary outcome measures included physical fitness tests (grip strength, sit-ups, sit-and-reach, 6 minutes of walking, single-leg balance test with open eyes), timed up-and-go test (UP&GO), and one repetition maximum of the same six exercises. This study examined joint angle of knee flexion and elbow flexion, visual analog scale, and muscular strength test to identify delayed onset muscle soreness. RESULTS: The resting blood pressures in both exercising groups were significantly decreased after 16 sessions of exercise intervention (p , 0.05). The training group significantly increased muscular strength and improved physical fitness, UP&GO, and one repetition maximum of 6 resistance exercises (p , 0.05). The combined exercise did not induce delayed onset muscle soreness. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that the combined shortening and lengthening resistance training with aerobic exercise in senior male and female adults was effective in decreasing blood pressure and increasing muscular strength and physical fitness.

Strength of Plantar- and Dorsiflexors Mediates Step Regularity During a High Cognitive Load Situation in a Cross-sectional Cohort of Older and Younger Adults

“…45 Even in the oldest cohort of older adults, exercise training has been shown to be effective to improve both muscle size and voluntary strength. 46,47 Training to strengthen the ankle joint was effective to enhance the gait ability of older adults at risk of falls, 48 and plantar muscle strength was shown to be important in fall prevention in older adults. 49 These findings are in agreement with other studies showing that lower extremity muscle strength is strongly associated with gait speed, 50,51 adding to the link existing between strength and lower extremity function.…”

Does Child have Muscle Pain after Enormous Exercise?

“…Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is called muscle soreness caused by unfamiliar exercise or high-intensity and intense exercise [1]. In addition, it has been presented that eccentric muscle activity causes DOMS [2], and Hiruma et al [3] present that DOMS is not expressed by resistance training with 50% of one repetition maximum (1RM) and slow eccentric muscle activity. DOMS is accompanied by muscle damage [4], pain, muscle weakness, decreased range of motion, edema, increased activity of creatine kinase activity (CK) and glutamine [5].…”