Abstract
Physical exercise is considered an important intervention for promoting well-being and healthy aging. The objective was to determine the effects of moderate-to-high intensity resistance circuit training on different parameters of body composition, functional autonomy, muscular strength and quality of life in elderly. A randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 45 subjects (27 females, 18 males) aged between 65–75 years old from Murcia (Spain) were divided by sex, and randomly to experimental group (n = 33, mean age 69 ± 3.2 years old) receiving 12 weeks of moderate-to-high intensity resistance circuit training and control group (n = 33, mean age 70 ± 4.1 years old) receiving no exercise intervention. Intra-group comparison, the experimental group showed a significant increment of lean body mass in women and men, which also presented a decrease of fat mass. Both sex presented a significant improve in functional autonomy, and significately higher values of muscular strength. But no changes were observed regarding quality of life in these groups. The control group did not show any differences pre and post-intervention in women, but in men presented an increment of body mass index and total weight post-intervention. No changes were showed in the other variables. Similar results were founded at inter-group comparison. The moderate-to-high intensity resistance circuit training showed increase in total lean body mass, improvements in functional capacity and significantly increase in upper and lower muscular strength in women and men. Progressive resistance circuit training should be promoted for the elderly as it has the potential to improve physical performance, thereby prolonging healthy independent aging.
Highlights
The world population has been experiencing significant ageing, this means that the process has resulted in rising proportions of older persons in the total population since the mid-twentieth century[1]
The need for maintenance of physical activity (PA) throughout life is widely recommended by the scientific literature, in particular, during the stage at which aging accentuates the decline of the systems responsible for the functionality of the body, affecting the ability of the elderly to participate in daily activities, which affects their functional autonomy (FA), increasing the risk of developing diseases with physical and psychological consequences[14,15]
As an average, the subjects inclueded in both sex in both group, according standard categorizations of World Health Organization were identified as overweight (BMI: 25.0–29.9 kg/m2)
Summary
The world population has been experiencing significant ageing, this means that the process has resulted in rising proportions of older persons in the total population since the mid-twentieth century[1]. Muscle mass declines with age and is gradually replaced by a fat mass[7] Changes in BC associated with ageing may result in Body Mass Index (BMI) increase of 1.5–2.5 kg/m2 in both men and women, even when body weight remains constant[8,9,10]. The need for maintenance of physical activity (PA) throughout life is widely recommended by the scientific literature, in particular, during the stage at which aging accentuates the decline of the systems responsible for the functionality of the body, affecting the ability of the elderly to participate in daily activities, which affects their functional autonomy (FA), increasing the risk of developing diseases with physical and psychological consequences[14,15]. Aging develops in older people, as a reduction in muscle size, strength, and flexibility, associated with changes in fat mass, muscular mass, and cardiovascular diseases[16]. The risk of acute problems owing to falls and injuries and chronic recurrent and degenerative illnesses rises[17,18]
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