Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults

Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults:
changes in rapid muscle force, strength and power.

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008 Jan 30.

Caserotti P, Aagaard P, Buttrup Larsen J, Puggaard L.
Age-related decline in muscle power predicts falls, motor impairments
and disability. Recent guidelines suggested that training programs
should be tailored to maximize muscle power. This study investigated
the effects of 12 weeks of explosive-type heavy-resistance training
(75-80% of 1 repetition maximum) in old (60-65 years, TG60) and very
old (80-89 years, TG80) community-dwelling women. Training was
performed with maximal intentional acceleration of the training load
during the concentric movement phase.

Maximal isometric voluntary muscle strength (MVC), rapid force
capacity, assessed as rate of force development (RFD), and impulse,
maximal muscle power during a countermovement jump (CMJ) and during
unilateral leg extension task (LEP) were evaluated. RFD, impulse and
MVC increased by 51%, 42% and 28% in TG80, and by 21%, 18% and 18% in
TG60, respectively. CMJ jump height increased by 18% and 10% in TG80
and TG60, respectively, while jump peak power increased in TG60 (5%).
Finally, LEP increased 28% in TG80 and 12% in TG60.

These findings demonstrate that explosive-type heavy-resistance
training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in
the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes
in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with
the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.