Adaptations to aerobic and resistance exercise in the elderly

Abstract

Despite lower baseline values, the available data suggest that older individuals have the same relative improvement in maximal strength and maximal aerobic capacity to resistance training and aerobic training regimens, respectively. For men, about two-thirds of the improvement inVO2 max with training is due to an increase in cardiac output while the remainder is due to an increase in the extraction of oxygen at the tissue level. In contrast, the increase in VO2 max in response to aerobic training in elderly women is almost entirely due to an increase in A-VO2 difference. It is unclear whether muscle oxidative capacity is reduced as a result of aging or if it is due to reduced habitual physical activity. Muscle oxidative capacity and fat oxidation improves as a result of aerobic exercise training in the elderly. There is some indication that measures of neuromuscular activation are impaired in the elderly but these can be improved by training. Older individuals can substantially increase muscle mass and muscle strength in response to in response to a resistance training regimen. Relative increases in muscle strength in response to a resistance training regimen appear to be similar in old and young but the data on muscle hypertrophy comparing young and old suggest muscle mass/fat free mass gains may be less in the elderly than the young. Resistance training, interestingly increases mitochondrial density and oxidative enzymes in the elderly but decreases these components in young individuals. It is clear that resistance exercise training as traditionally performed can improve strength and activities of daily living in the elderly. © 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.