Functional Mobility in the Elderly: Influence of Morphological, Neuromuscular and Training Parameters

Functional Mobility in the Elderly: Influence of Morphological, Neuromuscular and Training

Life expectancy and elderly population are increasing. Health professionals try to provide longevity with good quality of life for this population, through the functional independence maintenance. In this context, physical exercise has an important role, specially the strength training. The ability to produce muscle strength is positively associated with the functionality and independence of older people. Different types of strength training can lead to different neuromuscular and functional gains. These types of interventions can help health professionals to determine characteristics of training for the elderly, aiming the maintenance of their functional independence. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a concentric strength training versus a concentric-eccentric strength training for knee flexors and extensors on structural, neuromuscular and functional parameters in older people, as well as to investigate the effect of a detraining period. Additionally, the investigators will try to identify which structural and neuromuscular parameters of lower limbs are better related to the functionality.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Concentric training; Other: Concentric-Eccentric training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 11
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • Rio Grande Do Sul
    • Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil, 90690-200
      • Exercise Research Laboratory, School of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 85 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male;
• 65 years of age or more;
• able to walk independently;
• not engaged in regular physical exercise.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Auditory, vestibular, visual and/or neuromusculoskeletal impairments that could influence the tests and the training;
• severe cognitive impairment;
• lower limb surgery;
• osteoporosis;
• lower limb pain.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Concentric training	Other: Concentric training; Subjects will be submitted to 8 weeks (16 sessions) of a concentric training for knee flexors and knee extensors. This training will be performed in an isokinetic dynamometer at 70% of the subject's maximal voluntary isometric contraction.
Experimental: Concentric-eccentric training	Other: Concentric-Eccentric training; Subjects will be submitted to 8 weeks (16 sessions) of a concentric-eccentric training for knee flexors and knee extensors. This training will be performed in an isokinetic dynamometer at 70% of the subject's maximal voluntary isometric contraction.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pennation angle of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally.	Pennation angle at rest	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Thickness of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally.	Muscle thickness at rest	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Fascicle length of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally.	Fascicle length at rest	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Echo intensity of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally.	Echo intensity determined from a gray scale analysis of the muscles at rest	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Countermovement vertical jump	Maximal vertical height in the countermovement jump	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Timed-up-&-go	Time to rise from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back and sit again	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Unipodal static balance	Range in anterior-posterior and medio-lateral center of pressure movement during unipodal evaluation during 30 seconds	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Gait speed	Gait speed for walking 10 meters at self-selected speed	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Stair ascent and descent time	Time to stair ascent and descent stairs	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
6-minutes walking test	The distance that the subjects can walk during 6 minutes	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Sit-to-stand	Maximal number of repetitions during 30 seconds	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Power of knee extensors and knee flexors	Power during maximal concentric and eccentric contractions	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Rate of torque production of knee extensors and knee flexors	Rate of torque production during maximal isometric contractions	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Strength of knee extensors and knee flexors	Maximal isometric strength	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Strength of knee extensors and knee flexors	Maximal concentric strength	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining
Strength of knee extensors and knee flexors	Maximal eccentric strength	First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 15, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 22, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 29, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): July 2, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 10, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 7, 2024
• Last Verified: June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: strength training; aging; functionality
• Other Study ID Numbers: UFRGS 2.034.508

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No