Combined lower body endurance and upper body resistance training improves performance and health parameters in healthy active elderly

Abstract

We investigated the effects of combined lower body (LB) endurance and upper body (UB) resistance training on endurance, strength, blood lipid profile and body composition in active older men. Ten healthy still active men (73+/-4 years, V(O2) peak: 36 (31-41) ml min-1 kg-1) were tested before and after 14 weeks of combined training (3 times week-1). Training consisted of 3x12 min of high intensity interval training on a bicycle for endurance interspersed by 3x12 min of UB resistance exercises. V(O2) peak during leg cycling and arm cranking, isokinetic torque of knee extensor and shoulder abductor and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of several muscles from UB and LB were measured. Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and abdominal fat area were measured on MRI scans. Total body composition was assessed by hydrostatic weighing (HW) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Blood lipid profile was assessed before and after training. By the end of the training period, V(O2) peak (l min-1) increased significantly by 9 and 16% in leg cycling and arm cranking tests, respectively. Maximal isokinetic torque increased both for the knee extensor and shoulder abductor muscle groups. CSA increased significantly in deltoid muscle. Percentage of body fat decreased by 1.3% (P<0.05) and abdominal fat and SAD decreased by 12 and 6%, respectively (P<0.01). There was also a significant decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. Thus, combined LB endurance and UB resistance training can improve endurance, strength, body composition and blood lipid profile even in healthy active elderly.

Aerobic exercise training improves whole muscle and single myofiber size and function in older women

“…While not unequivocal, it has been reported that aerobic training can improve muscle function in the elderly in the absence of muscle hypertrophy (1,13,21,53). Accordingly, we originally hypothesized that aerobic training would improve muscle function independent of changes in muscle mass by remodeling the contractile characteristics at the cellular level, which has been demonstrated in young competitive endurance athletes (19) and with endurance training in young subjects (36,47).…”

“…The large improvement in muscle mass was unexpected and is similar to results from our laboratory (46,49) and others (2,6,15) with regards to resistance exercise in similar subject populations. It has been suggested that aerobic exercise may help preserve muscle mass with advancing age (33,41); however, studies that have examined whole muscle size before and after training interventions have concluded that aerobic training does not alter size at the whole muscle level (11,13,23,38,39,53,54). A major confounding factor in many of those studies is that subjects experienced weight loss during the exercise intervention, which may limit the capacity for muscular growth (11,13,38,39,54).…”

“…Surprisingly, the influence of aerobic exercise on muscle size and function in older adults has not been well characterized. There is evidence that aerobic exercise can improve muscle function (13,53), although many investigations have reported that aerobic training does not alter whole muscle size in the elderly population (11,13,23,38,39,53,54). However, most of these studies permitted weight loss during the exercise intervention and/or examined subject populations with conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or heart failure, which may be confounding factors for muscular growth and adaptation.…”

Efeitos do treinamento físico sobre a remoção plasmática de nanopartículas lipídicas que se ligam a receptores de LDL e sobre a oxidação da lipoproteína, em indivíduos hipercolesterolêmicos

“…Contudo, alguns estudos mostraram diminuição na concentração de LDL-C (KAVANAGH, 2001;DUNCAN et al, 2003;VERNEY et al, 2006;HALVERSTADT et al, 2007;HELGE et al, 2007).…”

“…Esse efeito deve-se, provavelmente, à redução do catabolismo da apolipoproteína A-I (HERBERT et al, 1984;THOMPSON et al, 1991) e a alterações da atividade de enzimas intracelulares e proteínas de transferência (BERG et al, 1994;DURSTINE, HASKELL, 1994). Após o treinamento físico, ocorre o aumento da atividade da LCAT (DUFAUX et al, 1986), da LLP (KIENS, LITHELL, 1989), a diminuição da atividade da LH (PELTONEN et al, 1981) e da CETP (TASKINEN, NIKKILA, 1981;SEIP et al, 1993 Muitos trabalhos mostraram diminuição do colesterol total plasmático em normolipidêmicos após algumas semanas de treinamento físico (OLCHAWA et al, 2004;LIPPI et al, 2006;VERNEY et al, 2006;HALVERSTADT et al, 2007;HELGE et al, 2007), enquanto em outros não houve alteração do colesterol total, tanto em indivíduos normolipidêmicos (PETRIDOU et al, 2005) quanto hipercolesterolêmicos (CROUSE et al, 1997). Em nosso trabalho o treinamento diminuiu o colesterol total nos hipercolesterolêmicos e não teve efeito sobre este parâmetro nos normolipidêmicos.…”