Effects of strength and endurance training on thigh and leg muscle mass and composition in elderly women
Abstract
The effects of 18 wk of intensive strength and endurance training on knee extensor, knee flexor, and lower leg muscle mass and composition were studied in 76- to 78-yr-old women. Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), lean tissue CSA, and relative proportion of fat were determined using computed tomography. The strength-trained women increased their total muscle lean tissue CSA of the thigh (1.5%; P = 0.035), quadriceps CSA (4.5%; P = 0.021), quadriceps lean tissue CSA (5.8%, P = 0.009), and mean Hounsfield unit of the lower leg muscles (11.2%; P = 0.035) compared with the changes that occurred in the control group during the experiment. The change in quadriceps lean tissue CSA because of the strength training was also significant compared with that in the endurance group. The relative proportion of fat within the quadriceps muscle decreased due to the strength training compared with the changes that occurred in the endurance group. The results show that intensive strength training can induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy in elderly women and thereby also reduce the relative amount of intramuscular fat, whereas the effects of endurance training are negligible.
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A decrease in muscle fat infiltration was shown in some but not all previous studies of RT alone in nonobese persons.
“A decrease in muscle fat infiltration was shown in some (42,43) but not all (44) previous studies of RT alone in nonobese persons.”
PRT is more effective than aerobic training for increasing muscle size and muscle fiber cross-sectional area in older adults.
“studies in older adults have shown that PRT is more effective for increasing muscle size and muscle fiber cross-sectional area [[364], [365], [366]].”
From Global consensus on optimal exercise recommendations for enhancing healthy longevity in older adults (ICFSR) (2025) · cites this paper as [366]
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- Authors
- Sipila, S., & Suominen, H.
- Affiliations
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.
- University of Jyväskylä (FI)
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 1995-01-01
- Volume
- 78
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 334-340
- ISSN
- 0161-7567 (ISSN-L)
- 8750-7587
- 1522-1601
- OpenAlex
- W1933285363
- Cited by
- 228
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 2.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- resistance training, endurance training, older women, muscle mass, muscle composition, muscle cross-sectional area, intramuscular fat, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, quadriceps, knee extensors, knee flexors, lower leg muscles, aging
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Body Composition, Female, Humans, Leg, Organ Size, Physical Education and Training, Physical Endurance, Thigh, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Weight Lifting, Exercise, Walking, Muscle, Skeletal
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