Abstract
Aim: The current study investigated the effects of low-speed resistance training (LSRT) and high-speed resistance training (HSRT) on frailty status, physical performance, cognitive function and blood pressure in pre-frail and frail older people.Material and Methods: Sixty older adults, 32 prefrail and 28 frail, were randomly allocated into LSRT, HSRT, and control group (CG). Before and after intervention periods frailty status, blood pressure, heart rate, and a set of physical performance capabilities and cognitive domains were assessed. Exercise interventions occurred over 16 weeks and included four resistance exercises with 4–8 sets of 4–10 repetitions at moderate intensity.Results: The prevalence of frailty criteria in prefrail and frail older adults were reduced after both LSRT and HSRT. In prefrail, LSRT significantly improved lower-limb muscle strength, while mobility was only improved after HSRT. Muscle power and dual-task performance were significantly increased in both LSRT and HSRT. In frail, LSRT and HSRT similarly improved lower-limb muscle strength and power. However, exclusive improvements in dual-task were observed after LSRT. Memory was significantly increased in prefrail and frail, regardless of the type of resistance training. No significant changes were observed in blood pressure and heart rate.Conclusion: Findings of the present study indicated that both LSRT and HSRT reversed frailty status and improved physical performance in prefrail and frail older adults. Notably, different patterns of improvement were observed among RT protocols. Regarding frailty status, LSRT seemed to be more effective in reverse prefrailty and frailty when compared to HSRT. Greater improvements in muscle strength and power were also observed after LSRT, while HSRT produced superior increases in mobility and dual-task performance. One-leg stand performance was significantly reduced in LSRT, but not HSRT and CG, after 16 weeks. In contrast, RT programs similarly improved verbal memory in prefrail. Finally, no changes in blood pressure and heart rate were observed, regardless of the type of RT.Trial Registration: The protocol was approved by the University of Campinas Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol No. 20021919.7.0000.5404) and retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System: NCT04868071.
Highlights
Frailty refers to a reversible state of increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes, including disability and mortality, which occurs separated and faster than the normal aging process in response to a multisystem impairment of the human body and lack of psychosocial support [1,2,3,4]
Four participants withdrew due to personal reasons, two participants due to the 10RM test, one start to take psychotropic drugs, one could not attend for exercise sessions for 2 months due to substantial weight loss and complains of muscle fatigue, one had a stroke, one had urinary tract infection, and one died
low-speed resistance training (LSRT) seemed to be more effective in reverse prefrailty and frailty when compared to high-speed resistance training (HSRT)
Summary
Frailty refers to a reversible state of increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes, including disability and mortality, which occurs separated and faster than the normal aging process in response to a multisystem impairment of the human body and lack of psychosocial support [1,2,3,4]. Frailty is highly incident in older adults [2, 4] with occurrence rates of 44 new cases per 1,000 person-years [5]. In South America, a recent pooled analysis indicated an average prevalence of prefrailty and frailty in community-dwelling older adults of 46.8 and 21.7%, respectively [6]. People become more vulnerable to negative events [7,8,9,10,11]. Findings from cross-sectional studies suggested that cognitive function declines across frailty statuses in non-demented older adults [12,13,14]. Frail older people seemed to be at higher risk of dementia in relation to robust individuals [15,16,17]. A possible explanation for these observations is based on the fact that sustained elevation in arterial BP might predispose to the development of frailty as a result of disturbances in cerebral microcirculation, inflammation and oxidative stress, to quote a few [18,19,20,21,22]
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