Effects of Power Training on Muscle Thickness of Older Men

Abstract

The present study aimed at comparing the effects of traditional resistance training (TRT) and power training (PT) in inducing muscle hypertrophy in older men. Twenty older men (aged between 69 and 76 years) were divided in two groups: TRT training (n=9) and PT training (n=11). The volunteers trained twice a week, during 10 weeks. Both groups performed an equal work output and the same exercises with loads between 40% and 60% of 1 RM. Three sets of eight repetitions of each exercise were performed with rest intervals of 90 s between sets. Muscle thickness was measured by ultrasound at the biceps brachii (BIC) and rectus femoris (RF), using a 12 MHz high resolution scanning probe. An ANCOVA was used to compare post training muscle thickness values between TRT and PT, using baseline values as covariates. According to the results, RF muscle thickness increased only in PT, while BIC muscle thickness increased in both groups, but with larger increases in PT. In conclusion, ten weeks of PT induced muscle hypertrophy of the upper and lower limb muscles in older men. PT training may yield better results in muscle hypertrophy when compared with TRT.

resistance training - aging - power training - muscle thickness - muscle hypertrophy

References

• 1 Abe T, DeHoyos DV, Pollock ML, Garzarella L. Time course for strength and muscle thickness changes following upper and lower body resistance training in men and women.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000;  81 174-180
• 2 ACSM. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand . The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in healthy adults.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;  30 975-991
• 3 Bottaro M, Machado SN, Nogueira W, Scales R, Veloso J. Effect of high versus low-velocity resistance training on muscular fitness and functional performance in older men.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007;  99 257-264
• 4 Cannon J, Kay D, Tarpenning KM, Marino FE. Comparative effects of resistance training on peak isometric torque, muscle hypertrophy, voluntary activation and surface EMG between young and elderly women.  Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2007;  27 91-100
• 5 Chilibeck PD, Stride D, Farthing JP, Burke DG. Effect of creatine ingestion after exercise on muscle thickness in males and females.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;  36 1781-1788
• 6 Coyle EF, Feiring DC, Rotkis TC, Cote  3rd  RW, Roby FB, Lee W, Wilmore JH. Specificity of power improvements through slow and fast isokinetic training.  J Appl Physiol. 1981;  51 1437-1442
• 7 De Vito G, Bernardi M, Forte R, Pulejo C, Macaluso A, Figura F. Determinants of maximal instantaneous muscle power in women aged 50–75 years.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1998;  78 59-64
• 8 Earles DR, Judge JO, Gunnarsson OT. Velocity training induces power-specific adaptations in highly functioning older adults.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;  82 872-878
• 9 Evans W. Functional and metabolic consequences of sarcopenia.  J Nutr. 1997;  127 998S-1003S
• 10 Evans WJ. Exercise strategies should be designed to increase muscle power.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;  55 M309-310
• 11 Evans WJ. Exercise training guidelines for the elderly.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;  31 12-17
• 12 Farthing JP, Chilibeck PD. The effects of eccentric and concentric training at different velocities on muscle hypertrophy.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003;  89 578-586
• 13 Fiatarone MA, Marks EC, Ryan ND, Meredith CN, Lipsitz LA, Evans WJ. High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians. Effects on skeletal muscle.  Jama. 1990;  263 3029-3034
• 14 Fiatarone MA, O’Neill EF, Ryan ND, Clements KM, Solares GR, Nelson ME, Roberts SB, Kehayias JJ, Lipsitz LA, Evans WJ. Exercise training and nutritional supplementation for physical frailty in very elderly people.  N Engl J Med. 1994;  330 1769-1775
• 15 Fielding RA, LeBrasseur NK, Cuoco A, Bean J, Mizer K, Fiatarone Singh MA. High-velocity resistance training increases skeletal muscle peak power in older women.  J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002;  50 655-662
• 16 Friden J, Sjostrom M, Ekblom B. Myofibrillar damage following intense eccentric exercise in man.  Int J Sports Med. 1983;  4 170-176
• 17 Frontera WR, Hughes VA, Fielding RA, Fiatarone MA, Evans WJ, Roubenoff R. Aging of skeletal muscle: a 12-yr longitudinal study.  J Appl Physiol. 2000;  88 1321-1326
• 18 Frontera WR, Meredith CN, O’Reilly KP, Knuttgen HG, Evans WJ. Strength conditioning in older men: skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improved function.  J Appl Physiol. 1988;  64 1038-1044
• 19 Gentil P, Lima RM, Jaco de Oliveira R, Pereira RW, Reis VM. Association between femoral neck bone mineral density and lower limb fat-free mass in postmenopausal women.  J Clin Densitom. 2007;  10 174-178
• 20 Henwood TR, Taaffe DR. Improved physical performance in older adults undertaking a short-term programme of high-velocity resistance training.  Gerontology. 2005;  51 108-115
• 21 Hruda KV, Hicks AL, MacCartney N. Training for muscle power in older adults: effects on functional abilities.  Can J Appl Physiol. 2003;  28 178-189
• 22 Ivey FM, Roth SM, Ferrell RE, Tracy BL, Lemmer JT, Hurlbut DE, Martel GF, Siegel EL, Fozard JL, Jeffrey Metter E, Fleg JL, Hurley BF. Effects of age, gender, and myostatin genotype on the hypertrophic response to heavy resistance strength training.  J Gerontol (A Biol Sci Med Sci). 2000;  55 M641-648
• 23 Izquierdo M, Aguado X, Gonzalez R, Lopez JL, Hakkinen K. Maximal and explosive force production capacity and balance performance in men of different ages.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1999;  79 260-267
• 24 Izquierdo M, Hakkinen K, Ibanez J, Garrues M, Anton A, Zuniga A, Larrion JL, Gorostiaga EM. Effects of strength training on muscle power and serum hormones in middle-aged and older men.  J Appl Physiol. 2001;  90 1497-1507
• 25 Karakelides H, Sreekumaran Nair K. Sarcopenia of aging and its metabolic impact.  Curr Top Dev Biol. 2005;  68 123-148
• 26 Kenney WL, Buskirk ER. Functional consequences of sarcopenia: effects on thermoregulation.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1995;  50 Spec No 78-85
• 27 Kraemer WJ, Adams K, Cafarelli E, Dudley GA, Dooly C, Feigenbaum MS, Fleck SJ, Franklin B, Fry AC, Hoffman JR, Newton RU, Potteiger J, Stone MH, Ratamess NA, Triplett-MacBride T. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002;  34 364-380
• 28 Krivickas LS, Suh D, Wilkins J, Hughes VA, Roubenoff R, Frontera WR. Age- and gender-related differences in maximum shortening velocity of skeletal muscle fibers.  Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;  80 447-455 , quiz 456–447
• 29 Lohman T, Roche A, Martorell R. Anthropometric standardization reference manual. 2nd ed. Champaign, Ilinois: Human Kinetics 1991
• 30 Macpherson PC, Schork MA, Faulkner JA. Contraction-induced injury to single fiber segments from fast and slow muscles of rats by single stretches.  Am J Physiol. 1996;  271 C1438-1446
• 31 Metter EJ, Lynch N, Conwit R, Lindle R, Tobin J, Hurley B. Muscle quality and age: cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1999;  54 B207-218
• 32 Miszko TA, Cress ME, Slade JM, Covey CJ, Agrawal SK, Doerr CE. Effect of strength and power training on physical function in community-dwelling older adults.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003;  58 171-175
• 33 Nair KS. Muscle protein turnover: methodological issues and the effect of aging.  J Gerontol (A Biol Sci Med Sci). 1995;  50 Spec No 107-112
• 34 Newton RU, Hakkinen K, Hakkinen A, MacCormick M, Volek J, Kraemer WJ. Mixed-methods resistance training increases power and strength of young and older men.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002;  34 1367-1375
• 35 Porter MM, Vandervoort AA, Lexell J. Aging of human muscle: structure, function and adaptability.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1995;  5 129-142
• 36 Roth SM, Ferrell RF, Hurley BF. Strength training for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.  J Nutr Health Aging. 2000;  4 143-155
• 37 Shaw CE, MacCully KK, Posner JD. Injuries during the one repetition maximum assessment in the elderly.  J Cardiopulm Rehabil. 1995;  15 283-287
• 38 Shepstone TN, Tang JE, Dallaire S, Schuenke MD, Staron RS, Phillips SM. Short-term high- vs. low-velocity isokinetic lengthening training results in greater hypertrophy of the elbow flexors in young men.  J Appl Physiol. 2005;  98 1768-1776
• 39 Singh MA, Ding W, Manfredi TJ, Solares GS, O’Neill EF, Clements KM, Ryan ND, Kehayias JJ, Fielding RA, Evans WJ. Insulin-like growth factor I in skeletal muscle after weight-lifting exercise in frail elders.  Am J Physiol. 1999;  277 E135-143
• 40 Vijayan K, Thompson JL, Norenberg KM, Fitts RH, Riley DA. Fiber-type susceptibility to eccentric contraction-induced damage of hindlimb-unloaded rat AL muscles.  J Appl Physiol. 2001;  90 770-776
• 41 Young A, Stokes M, Crowe M. The size and strength of the quadriceps muscles of old and young men.  Clin Physiol. 1985;  5 145-154

Correspondence