Citation

Bohrer RCD, Pereira G, Beck JKM, Lodovico A, Rodacki A. Rejuvenation Res. 2019; 22(1): 43-50.

Affiliation

Federal University of Paraná, Physical education, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil ; rodacki@ufpr.br.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/rej.2018.2063

PMID

29911496

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of multicomponent training program, designed to improve the torque around the ankle joint performing high-speed movement execution, on healthy older adults. Participants were balanced by torque around the ankle joint and randomly allocated to either exercise (n=12, 69.7±4.8 years, 74.6±16.8 kg, 1.63±0.10 m) or control group (n=14, 70.86±6.48 years; 73.5±13.4 kg, 1.56±0.05 m). The exercise group performed a multicomponent training of resistance, agility and coordination exercises, focusing on the plantar flexor muscles during 12 weeks (3 days per week). Outcome measures were torque (plantar flexion and extension), reactive capacity (Step test) and functional mobility (gait and time up and go test - TUG). The training program induced to increased peak torque of extensors muscles around the ankle joint to exercise group (∆=50%; d=1.59) compared to the control group. Such improvement was convert to reactive capacity improvements considering the decrease in the execution time of the Swing phase and in the Total time of the Step test (∆=19%; d=0.93, ∆=14%; d=1.02, respectively). Also, gains in functional mobility were verified by the increase of the walking speed (∆=15%; d=1.37) and by the smaller time of execution of TUG test (∆=17%; d=1.73) in the exercise group. Therefore, the multicomponent training is effective to reduce or to reverse muscular age-related declines, which are associated with functional performance and reduction of falls in older adults.

Language: en