International Journal of Sport, Exercise and Health Research 2017; 1(1): 22-28 ; DOI:10.31254/sportmed.1105
Muscle strength and size gains in older women after four and eight weeks of high-intensity resistance training
Michael E. Rogers1 , Nicole L. Rogers2 , Eiji Fujita3 , Mohammod M. Islam3 , Nobuo Takeshima4
1. Department of Human Performance Studies, Center for Physical Activity and Aging, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA
2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA
3. Department of Sport and Life Science, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, JAPAN
4. School of Health Sciences, Asahi University, Mizuho, JAPAN
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 26th January, 2017 / Accepted: 11th March, 2017
The purpose of this study was to examine skeletal muscle strength and size gains that may occur during 4 and 8wk of high-intensity resistance training in physically-active older women. Fifteen regularly aerobic-exercising women (age 63-77 y) were randomly placed into a weight-training group (WTG) (n=8) or control group (CG) (n=7). Weight training consisted of bilateral knee extension (BLE), knee flexion (BKF) and leg press (BLP) (3 d•wk-1, 3 sets, 80% 1-RM). Subjects exercised to full-range failure (6-10 repetitions) and then attempted 2 additional partial reps on each set. When 10 full reps were completed, resistance was increased to allow for only 6 full reps on the subsequent set. Assessments of skeletal muscle strength and size were made in WTG and CG at 0, 4 and 8wk. All measures of strength (1-RM) increased (p<0.001) in WTG after 4wk and 8wk of training. BLE increased 78 and 125%, BKF increased 99 and 156% and BLP increased 42% and 60% after 4wk and 8wk, respectively. Thigh muscle volume (cm3) was measured by obtaining 10 contiguous 10mm thick images of both thighs using T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Muscle volume increased 2.4% (p=0.01) after 4wk and 6.7% (p<0.001) after 8wk in WTG. Muscle strength and size of CG did not change. This study confirms that older women can increase strength dramatically with training. This study also demonstrates that physically-active older muscles are capable of significant hypertrophy after as few as 4wk of highintensity training.
Aging, Strength Training, Hypertrophy, Muscle Volume
