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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #220384

Title: Lower extremity power training in elderly subjects with moderate mobility limitations: A randomized controlled trial

Author
item Fielding, Roger

Submitted to: Gerontological Society of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2006
Publication Date: 10/1/2007
Citation: Fielding, R. 2007. Lower extremity power training in elderly subjects with moderate mobility limitations: A randomized controlled trial. Gerontological Society of America 60th Annual Meeting, November, 16-20, 2007, San Francisco, CA. 263:418.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fifty-seven community-dwelling older adults were randomized to either high-velocity high-power training (POW), slow-velocity progressive resistance training (STR) or a control group of lower extremity stretching (CON). Training was performed three times per week for 12 weeks and subjects completed three sets of leg press (LP) and knee extension (KE) exercises. During training, power output was consistently higher in POW compared to STR for KE and LP. Despite this, KE PP increased similarly from baseline in POW and STR compared to CON, and no significant time-group interaction occurred for LP PP. However, gains in LP specific PP were significantly greater in POW compared to both STR and CON. Neuromuscular adaptations to POW, rather than skeletal muscle hypertrophy, may have facilitated the improvements in muscle quality.