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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #37492
Title: STRENGTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH ONE YEAR OF PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE TRAINING IN OLDER WOMEN

Author
item MORGANTI CHRISTI - TUFTS-HNRCA
item NELSON MIRIAM E - TUFTS-HNRCA
item FIATARONE MARIA - TUFTS-HNRCA
item ECONOMOS CHRISTI - TUFTS-HNRCA
item CRAWFORD BRENDA - TUFTS-HNRCA
item EVANS WILLIAM J - PENN STATE

Submitted to: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: In the past several years, resistance training has proven to be effective in improving strength in men and women of all ages. Greater strength has been associated in cross-sectional studies with greater bone and muscle mass. In longitudinal studies, improved strength has been associated with improved muscle and bone mass, mobility, and balance, all thought to be important factors in fracture and dependency prevention. Few prospective studies, however, are longer than 3 months in duration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of progressive resistance training on strength gains over an extended period of time in postmenopausal women. This study shows that strength continues to improve over an entire year of progressive resistance training in postmenopausal women.

Technical Abstract: Thirty-nine healthy women (59.5 +/- 0.9 years) were randomized to either a control group (CON) or a progressive resistance training group (PRT) that trained twice weekly for 12 months. PRT trained at 80% of their most recent one-repetition maximum (1RM) on the lateral pull-down (LPD), knee extensor (KE), and double leg press (DLP) apparatus. One RM was measured for each exercise once monthly in PRT and at baseline, midstudy, and end of study i CON. One RM's significantly increased in PRT for all muscle groups trained compared to CON (P<0.0001). Increases of 73.7+/-12%, 35.1+/-3%, and 77.0 +/-5%, respectively for KE, DLP, LPD in PRT and 12.7%+/-8%, 3.7%+/-3%, and 18.4%+/-4%, respectively, in CON were observed. Approximately 50% of the gains in KE and LPD and 40% in the DLP were seen in the first 3 months of the study. In all three exercises, strength gains in PRT continued over the entire 12 month period. These data indicate that high intensity strength training results in substantial, continual increases in strength in postmenopausal women for at least 12 months, with the greatest gains seen in the first 3 months of training.