The Consequences of Resistance Training for Movement Control in Older Adults
Abstract
Older adults who undertake resistance training are typically seeking to maintain or increase their muscular strength with the goal of preserving or improving their functional capabilities. The extent to which resistance training adaptations lead to improved performance on tasks of everyday living is not particularly well understood. Indeed, studies examining changes in functional task performance experienced by older adults following periods of resistance training have produced equivocal findings. A clear understanding of the principles governing the transfer of resistance training adaptations is therefore critical in seeking to optimize the prescription of training regimes that have as their aim the maintenance and improvement of functional movement capacities in older adults. The degenerative processes that occur in the aging motor system are likely to influence heavily any adaptations to resistance training and the subsequent transfer to functional task performance. The resulting characteristics of motor behavior, such as the substantial decline in the rate of force development and the decreased steadiness of force production, may entail that specialized resistance training strategies are necessary to maximize the benefits for older adults. In this review, we summarize the alterations in the neuromuscular system that are responsible for the declines in strength, power, and force control, and the subsequent deterioration in the everyday movement capabilities of older adults. We examine the literature concerning the neural adaptations that older adults experience in response to resistance training, and consider the readiness with which these adaptations will improve the functional movement capabilities of older adults.
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The relative effect of TRT and HVPT on functional performance is likely to be task specific.
“While multiple studies support the utility of both TRT and HVPT for improving functional performance in older adults, 29,34 -40 the relative effect of each training modality on functional performance is likely to be task speci fi c. 41”
From High-velocity power training has similar effects to traditional resistance training for functional performance in older adults: a systematic review (2023) · cites this paper as [41]
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Resistance Training is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health
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Power training improves balance in healthy older adults.
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Barry, B. K., Warman, G. E., & Carson, R. G. (2005) · Experimental Brain Research · doi:10.1007/s00221-004-2127-3 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
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“While multiple studies support the utility of both TRT and HVPT for improving functional performance in older adults, the relative effect of each training modality on functional performance is likely to be task specific.(41) This is because health-related domains such as cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, m…”
Background
- Authors
- Barry, B. K., & Carson, R. G.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Barry, B. K.
- ORCID
- Carson, R. G.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2004-07-01
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- M730-M754
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- OpenAlex
- W2117172258
- Cited by
- 169
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 0.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Keywords
- resistance training, older adults, motor control, functional task performance, neuromuscular system, rate of force development, force steadiness, muscle strength, power, training prescription
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Aged, Biomechanical Phenomena, Humans, Movement, Neuromuscular Diseases, Weight-Bearing, Exercise Movement Techniques
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