Effects of Resistance Training on Physical Exercise Capacity and Vascular Function Among Elderly Women

Abstract

Aging is associated with a decline in physical exercise capacity and in limb blood flow that could lead to a reduction in overall functional capacity. Exercise training has emerged as an effective therapy to improve the decline in physical and vascular function. PURPOSE: The purpose was to examine the effects of whole-body resistance training (RT) on physical exercise capacity and microvascular function among elderly women. METHODS: Fifteen women (age: 69<7.45 years) were referred by physicians as apparently healthy and signed informed consents prior to testing. These women participated in whole-body RT program performed, 2 days/week for 8 weeks. Before and after training muscle strength [One repetition maximum (1RM) for chest press, biceps curl, leg extension, and leg curl], physical exercise capacity [i.e., six-minute walk test (6MW)], and microvascular function (i.e., vascular reactivity) were measured. RESULTS: The 1RM for all the muscle strength outcomes increased significantly [chest press: 29.74%, pre = 8.64<2.46; post = 11.21<2.91kg; biceps curl: 37.02%, pre = 9.02<2.45; post = 12.36<2.49 kg; leg extension: 19.95%; pre = 34.24<11.76; post = 41.07<14.53 kg; leg curl 25.33%; pre = 36.00<8.92; post = 45.12<8.52 kg]. The 6MW test increased significantly 15.76% [pre = 564.20<90.83; post = 653.10<50.78 m, (p<0.05)]; and the vascular reactivity index [measured by fingertip digital thermal monitoring] also increased significantly 13.36% [pre = 2.17<0.44 vs. post = 2.46<0.36, (p<0.05)]. CONCLUSIONS: Clearly, these findings demonstrate that whole-body RT is capable of increasing physical exercise capacity and microvascular function among elderly women. This study underlies the importance of whole-body resistance exercise training as part of a healthy and active lifestyle in elderly women.