SIB# 410- Resistance Training In Older Adults

 The Study: Dose-Response Relationships of Resistance Training in Healthy Old Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

 The Facts:

a. Resistance training (RT) is often used to improve strength in older adults.

b. But the relationship of intensity, volume, frequency and other factors related to this type of training are unclear.

c. This is a review and meta-analysis.

d. They looked at 25 studies. The authors also noted: “All 25 studies reported a favorable effect of RT on upper and lower extremity muscle strength.”

e. The mean age of the subjects in all of the included studies was at least 65 years of age.

f. “The 25 studies quantified at least one measure of muscle strength or morphology and sufficiently described training variables (e.g., training period, frequency, volume, intensity).”

g. “It seems that 60 s of rest between sets (p = 0.06; two studies), a training frequency of two sessions per week, a training volume of two to three sets per exercise, seven to nine repetitions per set, and 4.0 s between repetitions appear to be the training variables that could have the greatest and most rapid effects on improving maximal voluntary strength in healthy old adults.”

Take Home:

The study identified a number of factors associated with improvements in strength.

Reviewer's Comments:

This is an article that I think it was important to look. There was one thing I found to be most comforting. “All 25 studies reported a favorable effect of RT on upper and lower extremity muscle strength.” I am not sure that the specific factors noted in item g will ultimately bear out as the best way to increase strength, as there are a lot of articles with differing findings that didn’t meet their inclusion criteria. In the meantime this is an interesting article if you have an interest in this field.

Reviewer:  Roger Coleman DC 

Editor’s Comments: Dr. Coleman and I both found this article to be interesting. It’s probably just a coincidence that we are both older guys trying to preserve what’s left of our muscle mass. Yeah…probably just a coincidence.  

Editor: Mark R. Payne DC

Reference: Ron Borde, Tibor Hortobagyi, Urs Granacher. Dose-Response Relationships of Resistance Training in Healthy Old Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2015 Dec;45(12):1693-720. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0385-9.

Link to Abstract: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26420238/

Link to Article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26420238/