Power Training Versus Strength Training in the Elderly

Biomechanical Gait Indicators of Elderly Women in Response to Strength Training or Power Training

The inexorable decline in motor skills during aging provides the investigators with an elderly population with various functional limitations. Among these, the ability to walk, being associated with the risk of falling has been studied by several authors. The adoption of strength and power training as an intervention strategy to reduce the negative effects arising from the physiological or pathological process of aging has been widely discussed in these studies. However, the effects of these interventions on biomechanical gait indicators have not been fully debated yet. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of these two training protocols on functional capacities and biomechanical gait parameters of elderly women.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Power Training; Other: Strength Training

Detailed Description

Three female groups, homogenized by age, body mass index and physical activity level, were formed: the control group (GC: n=8, 69±4 years old), the strength training group (GF: n=6, 67±4 years old) and the power training group (GP, n=7, 68±4 years old). No extra activity was induced to GC's routine. Meanwhile, GF and GP underwent 12 weeks of strength and power training, respectively, with three weekly sessions. While GF performed the exercises with moderate speed (70-90% of 1RM), the GP executed them in fast speed (40-60% of 1RM). A kinematic and electromyographic gait evaluation, as well as balance and functional capacity evaluations, were conducted prior and after the intervention period.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 75 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• sedentary women with no physical mobility limitations

Exclusion Criteria:

• attending less than 75% of the intervention sessions and not attending the final evaluation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Power Training Group; Physical exercises. Strength training performed quickly	Other: Power Training; This experimental groups underwent an intervention period of power training
Experimental: Strength Training Group; Physical exercises. Strength training performed in moderate speed	Other: Strength Training; This experimental groups underwent an intervention period of strength training
No Intervention: Control Group; This group maintained the same physical activity level during the intervention period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gait kinematics	toe clearance: minimum vertical distance of the forefoot and the ground during swing phase	through study completion, an average of 6 months
Timed up and go test	time needed to get up from a seated position walk 3 meters and walk back to the chair	through study completion, an average of 6 months
Muscle power	knee extensors muscle power	through study completion, an average of 6 months
electromyography gait analysis	Knee extensors and flexors muscles co-contraction during the gait cycle	through study completion, an average of 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo
• Investigators: Study Director: Alberto C Amadio, PhD, University of Sao Paulo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 27, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): August 2, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 2, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2016
• Last Verified: July 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: elderly; strength training; functional capacity; power training; gait biomechanics
• Other Study ID Numbers: PowerElderly

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Only group data will be available. These are to be published in scientific papers.