Resistance training for health and disease: introduction.

Abstract

The symposium entitled Resistance Training for Health and Disease was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The fact that more than 400 participants attended this symposium on the last afternoon and session of the conference attests to the importance and interest in this topic. Historically, resistance training was not well accepted in adult fitness/wellness centers until the 1980s and became well integrated as part of a well-rounded fitness program since 1990 when ACSM published their revised position stand on "The Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in Healthy Adults" (2). In addition, evidence is emerging relating to the importance of resistance training for health and disease prevention. Recent statements on exercise by the American Heart Association (4,5), American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (1), and the Surgeon General (9) have recommended resistance training as part of a preventive and rehabilitative program of physical activity including aerobic endurance and flexibility exercises. Clearly, research shows the value of resistance training for the development of muscular strength, power, and endurance with a subsequent increase in muscle mass (3,8). This evidence has been of extreme value in orthopaedic rehabilitative programs and for the general conditioning of athletes. Only more recently has the focus of the importance of resistance training shifted from a fitness goal to a health and disease prevention one. For example, Pollock and Vincent (7) in a recent issue of The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest reviewed the effect of resistance training on health (see Table 1). Also, Nelson and Wernick (6) published a book on the importance of resistance training for the health of females.TABLE 1: Comparison of the effects of aerobic endurance training to strength training on health and fitness variables. This symposium addressed the scientific evidence and importance of resistance training for the development and maintenance of muscle and bone. The importance of strength training in the elderly, in the prevention and rehabilitation from many chronic diseases, such as physical dysfunction, obesity-metabolism and weight control, osteoporosis, low back pain, and disability, are reviewed. The acute responses to resistance training are presented and clarified, which shows that this type of training is safe for use with middle-aged and elderly populations as well as for frail and cardiac patients. Finally, the rationale and minimal standards for resistance training are addressed. These guidelines include using 8-10 different exercises and recommends 1 set (moderate to maximal effort) performed 2-3 d·wk−1 using 8-12 (young) or 10-15 (older/cardiac patients) repetitions. This symposium also addresses the need for further research. Of particular importance is the need for randomized long-term clinical trials establishing the effect of resistance training on health and chronic disease parameters.