Effects of Resistance Training on Strength, Power, and Selected Functional Abilities of Women Aged 75 and Older
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of 12 weeks of progressive resistance strength training on the isometric strength, explosive power, and selected functional abilities of healthy women aged 75 and over. DESIGN: Subjects were matched for age and habitual physical activity and then randomly assigned into either a control or an exercise group. SETTING: The Muscle Function Laboratory, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty‐two healthy women were recruited through local and national newspapers. Five dropped out before and seven (4 exercisers and 3 controls) during the study. Pre‐ and posttraining measurements were obtained from 20 exercisers (median age 79.5, range 76 to 93 years) and 20 controls (median age 79.5, range 75 to 90 years). INTERVENTIONS: Training comprised one supervised session (1 hour) at the Medical School and two unsupervised home sessions (supported by an exercise tape and booklet) per week for 12 weeks. The training stimulus was three sets of four to eight repetitions of each exercise, using rice bags (1–1.5 kg) or elastic tubing for resistance. The exercises were intended specifically to strengthen the muscles considered relevant for the functional tasks, but were not to mimic the functional measurements. No intervention was prescribed for the controls. MEASUREMENTS: Pre‐ and posttraining measurements were made for isometric knee extensor strength (IKES), isometric elbow flexor strength (IEFS), handgrip strength (HGS), leg extensor power (LEP), and anthropometric indices (Body impedance analysis, arm muscle circumference, and body weight). Functional ability tests were chair rise, kneel rise, rise from lying on the floor, 118‐m self‐paced corridor walk, stair climbing, functional reach, stepping up, stepping down, and lifting weights onto a shelf. Pre‐ and posttraining comparisons were made using analysis of variance or analysis of covariance (using weight as a covariate) for normally distributed continuous data and one‐sided Fishers exact test (2times2 table) for discontinuous data. RESULTS: Improvements in IKES (mean change 27%, P = .03), IEFS (22%, P = .05), HGS (4%, P = .05), LEP/kg (18%, P = .05) were associated with training, but the improvement in LEP (18%, P = .11) did not reach statistical significance. There was an association between training and a reduction in normal pace kneel rise time (median change 21%, P = .02) and a small improvement in step up height (median 5%, P = .005). The other functional tests did not improve. CONCLUSIONS: Progressive resistance exercise can produce substantial increases in muscle strength and in power standardized for body weight in healthy, very old women. However, isolated increases in strength and LEP/kg may confer only limited functional benefit in healthy, independent, very old women.
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The annual decline in muscle power is larger than the annual decline in muscle strength in older adults.
“Several studies have revealed that the annual decline in muscle power is larger than the annual decline in muscle strength in older adults [10–16].”
From Effectiveness of power training compared to strength training in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as [15]
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- Authors
- Skelton, D. A., Young, A., Greig, C. A., & Malbut, K. E.
- Affiliations
- University of London (GB)
- The Royal Free Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Skelton, Dawn A.
- Venue
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1995-10
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1081-1087
- ISSN
- 0002-8614 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-5415
- OpenAlex
- W1989253051
- Cited by
- 451
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 4.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ResearchOnline (Glasgow Caledonian University) (acceptedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (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 › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- resistance training, older women, isometric strength, explosive power, functional capacity, quadriceps strength, elbow flexor strength, grip strength, leg extensor power, home-based exercise, exercise adherence, functional reach test, stair climbing, aging, sarcopenia, body impedance analysis, arm muscle circumference, body weight
- MeSH terms
- Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Body Composition, Body Weight, Female, Humans, Isometric Contraction, Surveys and Questionnaires, Skinfold Thickness, Weight Lifting, Electric Impedance, Hand Strength
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