Muscular strength and physical function in elderly adults 6-18 months after a 12-week resistance
exercise program
Sammanfattning
Aims: Benefits of resistance exercise in elderly people are well documented; however,
sustaining these benefits can be difficult and adherence is often poor. Muscular strength and
physical function usually decline after a supervised resistance exercise program (REP). We
investigated these changes in older adults during an observational follow-up and whether leisure
time physical activity (LTPA) or unsupervised resistance exercise (RE) limit these changes. Methods:
Subjects (N=236, 73.7±5.7 years, 58.2% female) had participated in a supervised 12-week REP.
Quadriceps strength and timed-up-and-go performance (TUG) at follow-up were compared to values
before and after REP. Multivariate statistics were used to predict changes in strength or function.
Results: Two hundred and eleven (90.3%) participants completed REP and 149 (63.1%) completed
follow-up (11.4±2.9 months). Quadriceps strength at follow-up decreased significantly compared to
after REP (-27N), but was higher than before REP (+30N). TUG did not decrease during follow-up and
was better than before REP (-0.9 seconds). LTPA (+38.0N, p<0.001) and RE (+31.6N, p=0.006)
predicted strength at follow-up, although they did not completely prevent loss of strength during
follow-up. Conclusions: Quadriceps strength declines after a 12-week resistance exercise program in
older adults. Neither LTPA nor RE completely prevents loss of quadriceps strength during follow-up,
although they limited the loss. TUG did not change during follow-up and was better at follow-up than
before the start of the resistance exercise program.