Effects of Resistance Training on Older Adults

Abstract

Using an integrative approach, this review highlights the benefits of resistance training toward improvements in functional status, health and quality of life among older adults. Sarcopenia (i.e. muscle atrophy) and loss of strength are known to occur with age. While its aetiology is poorly understood, the multifactorial sequelae of sarcopenia are well documented and present a major public health concern to our aging population, as both the quality of life and the likelihood of age-associated declines in health status are influenced. These age-related declines in health include decreased energy expenditure at rest and during exercise, and increased body fat and its accompanying increased dyslipidaemia and reduced insulin sensitivity. Quality of life is affected by reduced strength and endurance and increased difficulty in being physically active. Strength and muscle mass are increased following resistance training in older adults through a poorly understood series of events that appears to involve the recruitment of satellite cells to support hypertrophy of mature myofibres. Muscle quality (strength relative to muscle mass) also increases with resistance training in older adults possibly for a number of reasons, including increased ability to neurally activate motor units and increased high-energy phosphate availability. Resistance training in older adults also increases power, reduces the difficulty of performing daily tasks, enhances energy expenditure and body composition, and promotes participation in spontaneous physical activity. Impairment in strength development may result when aerobic training is added to resistance training but can be avoided with training limited to 3 days/week.

Strength, Size, and Muscle Quality in the Upper Arm following Unilateral Training in Younger and Older Males and Females

“…10 This loss in muscular strength and size leads to a decline in the overall quality of life, increases difficulty in the ability to be physically active, decreases energy expenditure both at rest as well as during exercise, and increases the body's fat content which increases dyslipidemia and reduces insulin sensitivity. 11 In addition, decreased muscular strength and size also increase the risk of falling, skeletal injury, pain and discomfort, osteoporosis, loss of functional capacity, frailty, disability, obesity, and diabetes. 6,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Assessment of strength changes following resistance training can be expressed many ways including one repetition maximum (1 RM), isometric strength, muscle cross sectional area (mCSA), and muscle quality (MQ).…”

Mediterranean Diet attenuates risk of frailty and sarcopenia: New insights and future directions

“…Nutrition and physical activity interventions are cornerstones for the management of sarcopenic symptomology and physical frailty [40][41][42][43]. Both aerobic and resistance training attenuates the loss of lean body mass, increases muscle strength and ameliorates frailty in older adults [42][43][44].…”

“…Both aerobic and resistance training attenuates the loss of lean body mass, increases muscle strength and ameliorates frailty in older adults [42][43][44]. Numerous dietary interventions have been extensively investigated, though most studies have focused on the efficacy of individual nutrients or supplements rather than dietary patterns [45][46][47][48][49].…”

The Effects of Manual Resistance Training on Improving Muscle Strength of the Lower Extremities of the Community Dwelling Elderly -A Clinical Intervention Study with A Control Group-

“…The effects of RT with training machines are also well reported. RT with training machines is a recognized standard method which is safe and accurately adjusts the resistance intensity from moderate to high; as a result, it is nowadays used for elderly people 12,13) .…”