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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sports Med Int Open
DOI: 10.1055/a-2338-8226
Training & Testing

One year of heavy resistance training modifies muscle fiber characteristics in elderly

Anne Theil Gates
1   Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark (Ringgold ID: RIN548562)
2   Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Center for Healthy Aging, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark (Ringgold ID: RIN469053)
,
Michael Kjaer
1   Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark (Ringgold ID: RIN548562)
3   Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark (Ringgold ID: RIN53139)
,
Jesper Loevind Andersen
1   Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark (Ringgold ID: RIN548562)
› Author AffiliationsSupported by: Nordea-fonden

Clinical Trial: Registration number (trial ID): NCT02123641, Trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/), Type of Study: Randomized
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Physical function declines with age, accelerating during the 6th decade of life, primarily due to loss in muscle mass and strength. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of one year of heavy resistance training in older adults (62-70 years) on muscle mass and strength. Further, we investigated muscle characteristics after the intervention by obtaining muscle biopsies from vastus lateralis to compare muscle fiber characteristics between the heavy resistance training (HRT) (n=10) and the sedentary control group (CON) (n=10). We found that one year of resistance training increased isometric muscle strength (p<0.0001, ES: 2.43 (Hedges’ g)) and lean body mass (p<0.05, ES: 0.96), whereas cross-sectional area of vastus lateralis and lean leg mass were unaltered. At year 1, the percentage of type IIX muscle fibers was lower in HRT compared to CON (p<0.05, ES: 0.99), whereas the muscle fiber size did not differ between groups for the major fiber types (I and II). In conclusion, one year of resistance training in elderly improved muscle strength and lean body mass but not cross-sectional area and lean leg mass. This indicate that the increase in muscle strength may be caused by neuromuscular adaptations rather than morphological muscle tissue changes per se.



Publication History

Received: 27 March 2024

Accepted after revision: 05 June 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
05 June 2024

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