Effect of resistance training on cognition in older women with differing levels of resistance training experience: Active Aging Longitudinal Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the impact of previous resistance training (RT) experience on cognitive function in older women.METHODS: Sixty-one physically independent women (>60 years) were assigned to one of the three groups: novice (N.=21, untrained individuals with no RT experience or who had not trained for several months), intermediate (N.=22, active individuals with 24 weeks of standardized RT experience), and a non-exercise control group (N.=18, untrained individuals). Novice and intermediate groups underwent a 12-week RT program for the whole-body (eight exercises, three sets, 8-12 repetitions, three alternate days per week). Measurements of cognitive performance (Stroop Test, Trail making Test A and B, letter and category verbal fluency test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test) were performed before and after the experimental period. ANCOVA was used for the comparison between groups over time.RESULTS: Improvement in the scores of almost all tests was observed in both novice and intermediate groups after RT (P<0.05), while the control group presented worse MoCA and Stroop Test scores after intervention (P<0.05). Thus, both exercise groups showed significantly different scores from the control group (P<0.05). Interestingly, a larger effect size was found for the intermediate group (ES=0.25-0.66) than for the novice group (ES = 0.16-0.35).CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that cumulative effect seems to exist, with more experienced individuals presenting more significant improvements.