Aquatic Resistance Research Articles

Effects of preoperative aquatic resistance training on knee pain, mobility limitation and muscle impairments in people with late-stage knee osteoarthritis

Effects of preoperative aquatic resistance training on knee pain, mobility limitation and muscle impairments in people with late-stage knee osteoarthritis

Relationships between coordination, active drag and propelling efficiency in crawl

This study examines the relationships between the index of coordination (IdC) and active drag (D) assuming that at constant average speed, average drag equals average propulsion. The relationship between IdC and propulsive efficiency (ep) was also investigated at maximal speed. Twenty national swimmers completed two incremental speed tests swimming front crawl with arms only in free condition and using a measurement of active drag system. Each test was composed of eight 25-m bouts from 60% to 100% of maximal intensity whereby each lap was swum at constant speed. Different regression models were tested to analyse IdC–D relationship. Correlation between IdC and ep was calculated. IdC was linked to D by linear regression (IdC=0.246·D−27.06; R2=0.88, P<.05); swimmers switched from catch-up to superposition coordination mode at a speed of ∼1.55ms−1 where average D is ∼110N. No correlation between IdC and ep at maximal speed was found. The intra-individual analysis revealed that coordination plays an important role in scaling propulsive forces with higher speed levels such that these are adapted to aquatic resistance. Inter-individual analysis showed that high IdC did not relate to a high ep suggesting an individual optimization of force and power generation is at play to reach high speeds.

Aquatic Resistance Training

THE WATER ENVIRONMENT HAS ADVANTAGEOUS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES FOR EXERCISE, AND IT IS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TOOL TO PERFORM RESISTANCE TRAINING (RT). RESEARCH IN WATER-BASED EXERCISE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON AEROBIC EXERCISE, AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF RT IN WATER. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW PROVIDES A COMPILATION OF THE STUDIES REGARDING ACUTE AND CHRONIC EFFECTS OF RT IN WATER AND INITIAL GUIDELINES BASED ON THE EVIDENCE. FOR A VIDEO ABSTRACT OF THIS ARTICLE, SEE VIDEO, SUPPLEMENTAL DIGITAL CONTENT 1 HTTP://LINKS.LWW.COM/SCJ/A136.

Muscle Activation in Young Men During a Lower Limb Aquatic Resistance Exercise With Different Devices

Little research has been reported on the effects of using different devices with resistance exercises in a water environment. This study compared muscular activation of lower extremity and core muscles during leg adduction performed at maximum velocity with drag and floating devices of different sizes. A total of 24 young men (mean age 23.20 ± 1.18 years) performed 3 repetitions of leg adduction at maximum velocity using 4 different devices (ie, large/small and drag/floating). The maximum amplitude of the electromyographic root mean square of the adductor longus, rectus abdominis, external oblique on the dominant side, external oblique on the nondominant side, and erector lumbar spinae were recorded. Electromyographic signals were normalized to the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Unexpectedly, no significant (P > 0.05) differences were found in the neuromuscular responses among the different devices used; the average activation of agonist muscle adequate for neuromuscular conditioning was 40.95% of MVIC. In addition, external oblique activation is greater on the contralateral side to stabilize the body (average, 151.74%; P < 0.05). Therefore, if maximum muscle activation is required, the kind of device is not relevant. Thus, the choice should be based on economic factors.

Neuromuscular Responses During Aquatic Resistance Exercise With Different Devices and Depths

Little research has been reported regarding the effects of using different devices and immersion depths during the performance of resistance exercises in a water environment. The purpose of this study was to compare muscular activation of upper extremity and core muscles during shoulder extensions performed at maximum velocity with different devices and at different depths. Volunteers (N = 24) young fit male university students performed 3 repetitions of shoulder extensions at maximum velocity using 4 different devices and at 2 different depths. The maximum amplitude of the electromyographic root mean square of the latissimus dorsi (LD), rectus abdominis, and erector lumbar spinae was recorded. Electromyographic signals were normalized to the maximum voluntary isometric contraction. No significant (p > 0.05) differences were found in the neuromuscular responses between the different devices used during the performance of shoulder extension at xiphoid process depth. Regarding the comparisons of muscle activity between the 2 depths analyzed in this study, only the LD showed a significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher activity at the xiphoid process depth compared with that at the clavicle depth. Therefore, if maximum muscle activation of the extremities is required, the xiphoid depth is a better choice than clavicle depth, and the kind of device is not relevant. Regarding core muscles, neither the kind of device nor the immersion depth modifies muscle activation.

Land-based versus aquatic resistance therapeutic exercises for older women with sarcopenic obesity: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundSarcopenic obesity is a health condition that combines excess adipose tissue and loss of muscle mass and strength. Sarcopenic obesity predisposes to more functional disabilities than obesity or sarcopenia alone. Progressive resistance exercises are recommended for older people as a potential treatment for sarcopenia and also for obesity. However, there is a lack of evidence indicating which programmes are best applied to older people, and no studies have investigated their effects on sarcopenic obese people. The aims of this protocol study are to investigate and compare the efficacy of land-based and aquatic resistance exercise programmes on improving muscle performance, functional capacity and quality of life of older women with sarcopenic obesity.Methods/DesignThis is a protocol study for a parallel randomised controlled clinical trial. Eligible participants are older women (≥65 years) with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2 and hand grip strength ≤21 kg force. A total sample of 36 participants will be randomly allocated to one of the intervention groups in blocks of three: land-based, aquatic or control. Each intervention group will undergo 2-week sessions of a 10-week therapeutic exercise programme for strength, power and endurance training of the lower-limb muscles. Participants in the control group will not participate in any strengthening activity for lower limbs and will receive telephone calls once a week. Baseline and final evaluation of outcomes will encompass muscle performance of the lower limbs assessed by an isokinetic dynamometer; functional tests of usual walking speed, maximal walking speed (shuttle walking test), stair speed and the Short Physical Performance Battery; and health-related quality of life (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Questionnaire – SF-36). Data collectors will be blinded to randomisation and will not be in touch with participants during the interventions.DiscussionThis study is the first randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate resistance exercises in older patients with sarcopenic obesity. If our hypothesis proves correct, both intervention programmes will be effective, with the land-based exercises conferring better results in muscle performance.Trial registrationRegistro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos: RBR-9p5q67

Effects of a progressive aquatic resistance exercise program on the biochemical composition and morphology of cartilage in women with mild knee osteoarthritis: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundSymptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee result in decreased function, loss of working capacity and extensive social and medical costs. There is a need to investigate and develop effective interventions to minimise the impact of and even prevent the progression of osteoarthritis. Aquatic exercise has been shown to be effective at reducing the impact of osteoarthritis. The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale, design and intervention of a study investigating the effect of an aquatic resistance exercise intervention on cartilage in postmenopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis.MethodsA minimum of 80 volunteers who meet the inclusion criteria will be recruited from the local population through newspaper advertisements. Following initial assessment volunteers will be randomised into two groups. The intervention group will participate in a progressive aquatic resistance exercise program of 1-hour duration 3 times a week for four months. The control group will be asked to maintain normal care during this period. Primary outcome measure for this study is the biochemical composition of knee cartilage measured using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging; T2 relaxation time and delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques. In addition, knee cartilage morphology as regional cartilage thickness will be studied. Secondary outcomes include measures of body composition and bone traits using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and peripheral quantitative computed tomography, pain, function using questionnaires and physical performance tests and quality of life. Measurements will be performed at baseline, after the 4-month intervention period and at one year follow up.DiscussionThis randomised controlled trial will investigate the effect a progressive aquatic resistance exercise program has on the biochemical composition of cartilage in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis. This is the first study to investigate what impact aquatic exercise has on human articular cartilage. In addition it will investigate the effect aquatic exercise has on physical function, pain, bone and body composition and quality of life. The results of this study will help optimise the prescription of aquatic exercise to persons with mild knee osteoarthritis.Trial RegistrationISRCTN65346593

Intentions, Perceptions and Actions Constrain Functional Intra- and Inter-Individual Variability in the Acquisition of Expertise in Individual Sports

Expertise in sport results from the adaptation of behavoirbehavoir to interacting constraints, individually per-ceived and encountered. With this emphasis on intentionality, perception and action to constrain behavoirbehavoir, the role of movement pattern stability, functional intra-individual and inter-individual performance variability is paramount. Here we illustrate these ideas with reference to two individual performance environments: ice climbing and breaststroke swimming. In ice climbing, compared to beginners, expert climbers exhibited greater levels of variability in upper- and lower-limb coordination patterns, exploring a larger range of limb positions and movement types (ice tool swinging, ice hole hooking). Ice fall properties contain affordances that induced variable motor coordination patterns in expert climbers, whereas learners used a basic and functionally stable motor organization to achieve their main goal of maintaining body equilibrium with respect to gravity. In swimming, while learners organized their limbs to advance in the water, their main intention was to balance, float, breathe, and perceive information. For these reasons they typically adopted one stable (in-phase) mode of arm-leg coordination whatever the swim speed. In contrast, experts harnessed available environmental and organismic constraints (strength, flexibility relative to aquatic resistance and the Archimedes principle) to satisfy a key performance constraint (swim fast). To achieve this aim, they varied the arm-leg coordination mode within a stroke cycle and swim speed. Together these data illustrate how functional performance in sport is predicated on the intertwined rela-tionship between intentions, actions and perceptions of each individual, requiring a blend of stable and variable movement patterns to satisfy changing task constraints.

Physiological Comparisons Between Aquatic Resistance Training Protocols With and Without Equipment

de Souza, AS, Pinto, SS, Kanitz, AC, Rodrigues, BM, Alberton, CL, da Silva, EM, and Kruel, LFM. Physiological comparisons between aquatic resistance training protocols with and without equipment. J Stength Cond Res 26(1): 276–283, 2012—The purpose of the present study was to compare the physiological responses of oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and energy expenditure (EE) in two different aquatic resistance training protocols performed with three sets of 20 seconds (3 × 20) and six sets of 10 seconds (6 × 10) and with and without Speedo Resistance Equipment. Ten young healthy women volunteers, familiar with exercises in an aquatic environment, participated in this study. The four separate protocols were randomly selected and performed at a 48-hour interval by the same instructor. The total time of the 3 × 20 protocol was 34 minutes and that of the 6 × 10 protocol was 43 minutes, and all exercises were performed at maximal speed and amplitude. Although the protocols had different total times, they included one minute of stimulus per muscle group and the same time intervals. EEgross and EEnet values were higher in the 6 × 10 protocol than in the 3 × 20 one. The variables V̇O2 and EEmin did not present significant difference between the protocols. V̇O2, EEgross, EEnet and EEmin values were higher when the equipment was used (W situation) than when it was not (WO situation). In the postexercise analysis, the W situation also showed higher V̇O2 and EEgross values than the WO situation. Therefore, this study suggests the use of Speedo Resistance Equipment to increase V̇O2 and EE, and it also suggests lengthier aquatic resistance training to obtain greater EE values per session.

Maintenance of Aquatic Training-Induced Benefits on Mobility and Lower-Extremity Muscles Among Persons With Unilateral Knee Replacement

Valtonen A, Pöyhönen T, Sipilä S, Heinonen A. Maintenance of aquatic training-induced benefits on mobility and lower-extremity muscles among persons with unilateral knee replacement. Objective To evaluate the maintenance of observed aquatic training-induced benefits at 12-month follow-up. Design Twelve-month follow-up of a randomized controlled study. Setting Research laboratory and hospital rehabilitation pool. Participants Population-based sample of 55 to 75-year-old women and men 4 to 18 months (on average 10mo) after unilateral knee replacement. Fifty people were willing to participate in the exercise trial and 42 people in the follow-up study. Intervention Twelve-month follow-up of 12-week progressive aquatic resistance training, or no intervention. Main Outcome Measures Isokinetic knee extensor and flexor power, thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), habitual walking speed, stair ascending time, and sit-to-stand test. Results After a 12-month follow-up, a 32% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10–53) training effect in knee extensor power ( P=.008) and 50% (95% CI, 9–90) in knee flexor power ( P=.005) of the operated knee remained. In muscle CSA, the training-induced benefit had disappeared at the follow-up. All the significant 12-week improvements in habitual walking speed, stair ascending time, and sit-to-stand in the training group compared with controls were lost at follow-up. Conclusions After the 12-month follow-up, the 12-week aquatic training-induced benefits in knee extensor and flexor power were maintained, whereas the mobility benefits had disappeared. Aquatic resistance training should be continued at least on some level to maintain the training-induced benefits in mobility.

Resistance training for people with post-polio syndrome: A systematic review of the literature

Introduction: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) of resistance training for people with post-polio syndrome (PPS) was conducted. Methodology: A literature search of interventions was performed using Medline (1966–present)/PubMed, Cinahl, SportDiscus and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases using the search strategy terms: “muscle strength” AND “resistance training, or strength training, or weight training” AND “polio”. Two reviewers independently evaluated studies to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria of RCT, measurement of muscle strength or force, and presentation of mean data (SD). Results: Four RCT studies met the inclusion criteria; however, due to the disparate nature of the resistance training interventions, a meta-analysis was not able to be conducted. Two studies showed improvements in muscular strength/force in PPS patients following prescribed own body weight training or resistance training; one study found no change in muscular strength but improvement in cardiovascular measures following aquatic resistance training in PPS patients; and one study showed improvements in both muscular strength and endurance following prescribed weight training. Conclusions: This review highlights the limited quantity and quality in research investigating the use of resistance training interventions to improve muscle strength and motor function in people with PPS. Moreover, no investigations reviewed in this study, to date, have examined neural mechanisms underpinning the functional outcomes presented. Further research investigating neurophysiological responses is required with specific training protocols in order to provide a targeted approach in using RT as a meaningful therapy for people with PPS.

Effects of a water exercise programme on body composition, physical ability and pain in middle-aged obese women with knee osteoarthritis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 10 weeks water exercise programme in the middle aged obese women with knee osteoarthritis. Subjects were 12 obese women with mean of 57 years of age, 156 cm height and 66.5 kg body weight. The water exercise programme consists of aquatic aerobic exercises with rating of perceived exertion 13-15 and 2 sets of 10 reps of aquatic resistance exercise. Body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and balance were measured before and after the water exercise treatment. And also subjective pains before and after the treatment of water exercises were measured using Visual Analogue Scale. Data were processed using SPSS V.13.0 program to obtain mean and SD values of the measurements. Mean different measurement between the pre- and post-tests within the group was verified through paired t test. There were significant differences between pre and postwater exercise in body mass (65.9±7.4 kg vs 64.0±6.8 kg), body mass index (27±3 kg/m2vs 26±3 kg/m2), % body fat (36.4% vs 35.4%) and body fat mass. The water exercise programme alleviated the subjective pain (6±2 vs 3±2) of obese patients who were suffering osteoarthritis of the knee by improving those patients' muscular strength (53±10 kg vs 57±2 kg), muscular endurance (6±6 reps vs 12±7 reps), flexibility (12±6 s vs 16±6 s) and balance (8.9±6.9 s vs 17.9±12.3 s). This also led to positive influences on the patients' daily life activities. In conclusion, water exercise programme would be effective in variation of physical ability, body composition and pain relief of obese patients who have osteoarthritis in the knee.

Effects of Aquatic Resistance Training on Mobility Limitation and Lower-Limb Impairments After Knee Replacement

Valtonen A, Pöyhönen T, Sipilä S, Heinonen A. Effects of aquatic resistance training on mobility limitation and lower-limb impairments after knee replacement. Objective To study the effects of aquatic resistance training on mobility, muscle power, and cross-sectional area. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Research laboratory and hospital rehabilitation pool. Participants Population-based sample (N=50) of eligible women and men 55 to 75 years old 4 to 18 months after unilateral knee replacement with no contraindications who were willing to participate in the trial. Interventions Twelve-week progressive aquatic resistance training (n=26) or no intervention (n=24). Main Outcome Measures Mobility limitation assessed by walking speed and stair ascending time, and self-reported physical functional difficulty, pain, and stiffness assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire. Knee extensor power and knee flexor power assessed isokinetically, and thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) by computed tomography. Results Compared with the change in the control group, habitual walking speed increased by 9% ( P=.005) and stair ascending time decreased by 15% ( P=.006) in the aquatic training group. There was no significant difference between the groups in the WOMAC scores. The training increased knee extensor power by 32% ( P<.001) in the operated and 10% ( P=.001) in the nonoperated leg, and knee flexor power by 48% ( P=.003) in the operated and 8% ( P=.002) in the nonoperated leg compared with controls. The mean increase in thigh muscle CSA of the operated leg was 3% ( P=.018) and that of the nonoperated leg 2% ( P=.019) after training compared with controls. Conclusions Progressive aquatic resistance training had favorable effects on mobility limitation by increasing walking speed and decreasing stair ascending time. In addition, training increased lower limb muscle power and muscle CSA. Resistance training in water is a feasible mode of rehabilitation that has wide-ranging positive effects on patients after knee replacement surgery.

Muscular Activity of the Posterior Deltoid During Swimming vs. Resistance Exercises on Water and Dry Land

The purpose of this study was to compare muscular activity of the posterior deltoid muscle during three typical aquatic physical conditioning activities. This interpretative case study involved a 23-year-old elite swimmer and athlete. Muscular activity was measured with surface electromyography during swimming crawl at maximum speed, and also while performing horizontal shoulder abduction using elastic band and Hydro-Tone Bells resistance. During the maximum voluntary contraction, we observed what appeared to be meaningful differences between the percentage of muscular activation during the swimming activity and that observed during the elastic band and aquatic resistance exercises (18.72% vs. 74.84% and 65.46%, respectively). No meaningful differences were observed between the percentage of muscular activation for the elastic band and aquatic resistance exercises. Resistance exercises, both in and out of the water, produce more muscle activation and may be more efficient for improving muscular strength than sprint crawl swimming. Prescribing physical exercise for health reasons is the process by which a medical professional recommends that an individual undertake a personal exercise

Monitoring the Intensity of Aquatic Resistance Exercises With Devices That Increase the Drag Force: An Update

SUMMARY: AQUATIC EXERCISE HAS GROWN IN POPULARITY BUT HAS BEEN MAINLY USED FOR REHABILITATION AND GENERAL AEROBIC TRAINING. IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE INTENSITY OF AQUATIC RESISTANCE EXERCISES, WHICH HAS LIMITED THEIR USE. RECENT RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE DEVELOPED METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AND MONITORING INTENSITY LEVELS DURING AQUATIC RESISTANCE EXERCISES, WHICH MAY INCREASE THEIR USE IN BOTH THE GENERAL AND ATHLETIC POPULATIONS

Effect of Resistive Exercise on Muscle Damage in Water and on Land

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of resistance exercise in water and on land on blood levels of creatine kinase (CK), a known indirect marker of muscle damage. Nine men (age: 23 +/- 1.58 years; weight: 79.37 +/- 11.15 kg; height: 176.33 +/- 4.09 cm), who had not practiced resistance training for at least 6 months before this experiment, performed 3 sets of maximum elbow flexion and extension exercises in water and on land, separated by 2-minute periods of rest. A 10-repetition maximum test was used to load control on land with free weights, and in water the exercise was performed at maximum velocity with aquatic resistance equipment. The duration of the exercise in water was the same as that performed on land, to reproduce the same metabolic route. Plasma CK activity was determined using a commercially available kit (Labtest Enzymatic-UV) before exercise, after exercise, and at 24 and 48 hours after exercise. Significant increases in CK were found at 48 hours postexercise on land (preexercise land: 160.75 +/- 96.05 UxL; 48 hours: 326.87 +/- 240.84 UxL), and significant differences were found between land and water (preexercise water: 147.75 +/- 46.48 UxL; 48 hours: 121.75 +/- 30.86 UxL) for this measure. However, no significant differences were found in water. In conclusion, the water environment influenced the absence of significant muscle damage. This type of exercise protocol may be appropriate for situations in which limited muscle tissue damage is desired.

Effects of a Short-Term Aquatic Resistance Program on Strength and Body Composition in Fit Young Men

This study was designed to analyze the effects of a short-term periodized aquatic resistance program (PARP) on upper-limb maximum strength, leg muscular power, and body composition (BC) in fit young men. Twenty subjects (21.2 +/- 1.17 years) were randomly assigned to an exercise or control group; 12 subjects completed the study. The aquatic exercise group (AEG; n = 7) participated in an 8-week supervised program of 3 d x wk, and the control group (CG; n = 5) maintained their regular activities. The PARP consisted of a total-body resistance exercise workout using aquatic devices that increased drag force, with a cadence of movement controlled and adjusted individually for each exercise and subject. The volume and intensity of the program were increased progressively. Submaximal tests were carried out to determine the change in upper-limb maximum strength, as well as a squat-jump test to determine the change in leg muscular power. Four skinfold sites, 6 circumference sites, body weight, and stature were used to determine changes in BC. A significant increase in upper-limb maximum strength and leg muscular power was observed for the AEG. A significant increase also was noted in the circumference and muscular area of the arm, and there were significant decreases in pectoral and abdominal skinfolds. Nevertheless, the circumference, muscular area, and local fat of the lower limbs did not change. There were no significant changes in any variables in the CG. These results indicate that the PARP produces significant improvements in muscular strength, power, and fat-free mass and, thus, seems to be a very effective form of resistance exercise.

Effects of aquatic resistance training on health and fitness in postmenopausal women

To investigate effects of 24 weeks of resistance training with aquatic resistance devices or elastic bands (EB) on markers of cardiovascular health and physical capacity. Forty-six healthy, sedentary postmenopausal women participated. The groups were aquatic exercise (AE; n = 15), EB (n = 21), and control (n = 10). Venous blood chemistry included cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and apolipoprotein B. Physical capacity was assessed by the sit-and-reach, knee push-up, 60-s squat, and abdominal crunch tests. Both AE and EB, respectively, showed a significant (P <or= 0.05) decrease in body fat (14.56, 11.97%) and diastolic blood pressure (8.03, 5.88%), and a significant increase in fat-free mass (2.88, 1.22%), sit-and-reach (27.94, 44.2%), knee push-ups (84.74, 51.59%), and 60-s squats (65.76, 46.04%). AE also showed a significant increase in abdominal crunches (28.11%). Aquatic resistance training can offer significant physiological benefits in health and performance that are comparable to those obtained from EB in this population.

A Method for Monitoring Intensity During Aquatic Resistance Exercises

The aims of this study were (i) to check whether monitoring of both the rhythm of execution and the perceived effort is a valid tool for reproducing the same intensity of effort in different sets of the same aquatic resistance exercise (ARE) and (ii) to assess whether this method allows the ARE to be put at the same intensity level as its equivalent carried out on dry land. Four healthy trained young men performed horizontal shoulder abduction and adduction (HSAb/Ad) movements in water and on dry land. Muscle activation was recorded using surface electromyography of 1 stabilizer and several agonist muscles. Before the final tests, the ARE movement cadence was established individually following a rhythmic digitalized sequence of beats to define the alternate HSAb/Ad movements. This cadence allowed the subject to perform 15 repetitions at a perceived exertion of 9-10 using Hydro-Tone Bells. After that, each subject performed 2 nonconsecutive ARE sets. The dry land exercises (1 set of HSAb and 1 set of HSAd) were performed using a dual adjustable pulley cable motion machine, with the previous selection of weights that allowed the same movement cadence to be maintained and the completion of the same repetitions in each of the sets as with the ARE. The average normalized data were compared for the exercises in order to determine possible differences in muscle activity. The results show the validity of this method for reproducing the intensity of effort in different sets of the same ARE, but is not valid for matching the same intensity level as kinematically similar land-based exercises.

Effects of a Short-Term Resistance Program Using Elastic Bands Versus Weight Machines for Sedentary Middle-Aged Women

This study was designed to determine whether different effects on functional capacity and body composition were produced by using different devices (elastic bands (EBs) versus weight machines (WMs)) with the same resistance training program. Forty-five healthy sedentary middle-aged women volunteers were chosen and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: 21 subjects trained using EBs (EBG), 14 in trained using WMs (WMG), and 10 were controls (CG). Both exercise groups trained with a periodized muscular endurance program twice a week for 10 weeks, with a total of 6 exercises per session for the major muscle groups. Exercise intensity was equalized by jointly monitoring the same targeted number of repetitions (TNRs) and rate of perceived exertion in active muscles (RPE-AM). Functional capacity was assessed by using knee push-up (KPU) and 60-second squat (S) tests. Body composition was measured using an 8-polar bioelectrical impedance analyzer. The results for both the EBG and WMG show a decrease in fat mass (p = 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) and an increase in both the fat-free mass (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) and the number of repetitions in the KPU (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) and S tests (p < 0.01 in both). None of the variables measured for the CG varied significantly. It can be concluded that, independently of the device used, the combined monitoring of TNRs and RPE-AM can be a valid tool for controlling the resistance exercise intensity and can lead to healthy adaptations. EBs can thus offer significant physiological benefits that are comparable to those obtained from WMs in the early phase of strength training of sedentary middle-aged women.