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Effects of a one-year exercise training program in adults over 70 years old: a study with a control group

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Abstract

Background and aims: Exercise training is known to improve exercise tolerance in elderly subjects. Therefore the present study aimed at investigating the effects of one year of combined endurance and resistance training in healthy older people. Methods: After baseline evaluation, subjects were assigned to either the training group (n=24, age 77.2±3.6) or the control group (n=16, age 76.1±4.8). Subjects in the control group did not change anything in their everyday activities, whereas subjects in the training group underwent moderately intensive combined exercise training, 3 hours a week over the course of one year. Breath-by-breath oxygen uptake and heart rate were measured at each workload during the symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test. Performance on the 6-minute (6-MWT) and 200-meter (200-MWT) walk tests was registered and maximal strength was measured on knee extensor and plantar flexor muscles. Results: After training, oxygen uptake was significantly increased, both at the ventilatory threshold (+11.6%, p<0.01) and at the end of exercise (+14.8%, p<0.001). The distance walked in 6 min (+10%, p<0.001), the time required to cover 200 m (−7.3%, p<0.001) and the maximal muscle strength (+15.2% and +17.4% for knee extensors and plantar flexors respectively, p<0.05) also improved after training. All these parameters had not significantly changed in the control group after the one-year period. Conclusions: The results of the present study show that one year of combined exercise training is well-tolerated and improves aerobic capacity, performance on field tests and muscle strength in healthy subjects over 70 years old.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM/ERIT-M 0207 Motricité-Plasticité, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

    Gaëlle Deley PhD, Jacques Van Hoecke, Bénédicte Verges & Jean-Marie Casillas

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Milano, LITA, Milan, Italy

    Gaëlle Deley PhD & Bruno Grassi

  3. Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, 125 Nashua Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Gaëlle Deley PhD

  4. Groupe de Recherche Cardio-Vasculaire, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France

    Gaëlle Kervio

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  1. Gaëlle Deley PhD
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  2. Gaëlle Kervio
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  4. Bénédicte Verges
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Correspondence to Gaëlle Deley PhD.

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Deley, G., Kervio, G., Van Hoecke, J. et al. Effects of a one-year exercise training program in adults over 70 years old: a study with a control group. Aging Clin Exp Res 19, 310–315 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324707

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324707

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