Effects of a Treadmill Walking Program on Muscle Strength and Balance in Elderly People With Down Syndrome

Abstract

Aged adults with DS can significantly improve muscle strength and balance by adopting suitable programs of treadmill walking.

Parents’ perceptions of health and physical activity needs of children with Down syndrome

“…Rimmer and colleagues [49] found significant improvements in the cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength and endurance of adults with Down syndrome who participated in a cardiovascular and strength exercise training programme. Other studies also showed improvements in muscle strength following training programmes for individuals with Down syndrome [19,20] . Draheim REPORTS bin [50] found reduced risk of hyperinsulinemia and abdominal obesity in adults with mental retardation (with and without Down syndrome) who were moderately to vigorously physically active at least five days per week and consumed lower dietary fat intakes.…”

Motor activation in people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in daily practice

“…Bartlo and Klein (2011) conducted a review into the effects of physical activity programs (balance training, aerobic training, and resistance training) for adults with intellectual disability and found evidence of an increase in balance and muscle strength (e.g., Carmeli, Kessel, Coleman, & Ayalon, 2002;Carmeli, Merrick, & Berner, 2004;Carmeli, Zinger-Vaknin, Morad, & Merrick, 2005), heart rate (e.g., Cluphf, O'Connor, & Vanin, 2001), functional mobility and gait (e.g., Podgorski, Kessler, Cacia, Peterson, & Henderson, 2004), and physical fitness (e.g., Rimmer, Heller, Wang, & Valerio, 2004). In addition to these positive effects in physical variables, evidence of positive effects in the domain of mental health was also found (Bartlo & Klein, 2011), such as a reduction in anxiety (Carmeli, Barak, Morad, & Kodesh, 2009), an increase in life satisfaction (Heller, Hsieh, & Rimmer, 2004), wellbeing (Carmeli et al, 2005), and quality of life (Carmeli et al, 2009;Heller et al, 2004).…”

Functional and biochemical characterization of soleus muscle in Down syndrome mice: insight into the muscle dysfunction seen in the human condition

“…Chromosome 21 triplication alters normal gene expression which causes craniofacial alterations, intellectual disability, early onset Alzheimer's disease, gastrointestinal disorders, congenital heart disease, hypotonia, and low muscle strength, among other conditions (28). Considerable evidence shows persons with DS to have very low muscle strength and the presence of intellectual disability only partially explains this deficit (1,2,8,11,18,24,32,34,40). Persons with DS demonstrate up to a 40 -70% decrement in knee extensor force-generating capacity compared with persons with intellectual disability but without DS, and persons without intellectual disability (1,2,8,11,18,24,32,34,40).…”

“…Considerable evidence shows persons with DS to have very low muscle strength and the presence of intellectual disability only partially explains this deficit (1,2,8,11,18,24,32,34,40). Persons with DS demonstrate up to a 40 -70% decrement in knee extensor force-generating capacity compared with persons with intellectual disability but without DS, and persons without intellectual disability (1,2,8,11,18,24,32,34,40). This large discrepancy in muscle strength is comparable to the difference in muscle strength observed between healthy adults of 20 and 70 yr of age (29,37).…”