Strengthening in Functional Mobility of Active Elderly

Lislei Jorge Patrizzi

Status

Completed

Conditions

Muscle Strength

Aged

Treatments

Other: Muscle strength

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02968030

CEP UFTM 1480

Details and patient eligibility

About

Aging is characterized by functional losses among which, the related to mobility and balance may be highlighted. Regular physical activity, including muscle strengthening exercises, is beneficial to a healthy elderly. Thus, this study aimed to verify the influence of 8 weeks-program of lower limbs strengthening exercises in the balance and functional mobility of physically active elderly. The investigators evaluated 18 women, with ages between 61 and 80 years. Balance assessment was performed using the Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Romberg test in stable or unstable soil. For muscular strengthening of the lower limbs, the workload was determined by the strength reached in the eight-repetition maximum test (8RM), applying progressive load increments between training sessions conducted (50% , 60% , 70% of 8RM), with the muscle strength being reevaluated in the fourth week of training, with subsequent adjustment of the load for the subsequent training. The training took place in two weekly meetings, in 40-minute sessions, during eight weeks. Data were analyzed using the paired-t test and ANOVA with repeated measures. Among 18 evaluated elderly women, 7 completed the 8 week training proposed. Decrease in TUG time (p = 0,035) and statistically significant increase in muscle strength were observed in all muscle groups trained (quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors and abductors). FRT (p = 0.170) was not significantly different after training. Therefore, strength training proposed was efficient in improving muscle strength in the lower limbs of irregular physically active elderly, impacting positively on functional gain gait. However, the gain in muscle strength was not enough to generate significant results in static balance probably due to the type of exercise performed as well as due being limited to muscle groups of the lower limbs.

Enrollment

7 patients

Sex

Female

Ages

61 to 80 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

aged between 61 and 80
irregularly active (IPAQ)

Exclusion criteria

Presence of one or more of the following conditions: neurological diseases, impaired cognitive autonomy or limited self-determination capacity, limiting orthopedic injury, orthoses for lower limb, hip or knee prosthesis, the cardiorespiratory system diseases or any kind of commitment that prevented the permanence in the standing position.