Impact of Different Resistance Training Protocols on Balance, Quality of Life and Physical Activity Level of Older Women.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) and physical fitness are key factors for quality of life (QoL) for older women. The aging process promotes the decrease in some capacities such as strength, which affect the activities of daily life. This loss of strength leads to a reduction in balance and an increased risk of falls as well as a sedentary lifestyle. Resistance Training (RT) is an effective method to improve balance and strength but different RT protocols can promote different responses. Power training has a higher impact on the performance of activities of daily life. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze if different RT protocols promote individual responses in balance, QoL and PA levels of older women and which are more effective for the older women. METHODS: Ninety-four older women were divided into four RT groups (relative strength endurance training, SET; Traditional strength training, TRT; absolute strength training, AST; power training, PWT) and one control group (CG). Each RT group performed a specific protocol for 16 weeks. At baseline and after 8 and 16 weeks, we assessed balance through the Berg balance scale; PA levels with a modified Baecke questionnaire and QoL with World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-OLD module (WHOQOL-OLD). RESULTS: Balance improved after 16 weeks (baseline vs. 16 weeks; p < 0.05) without differences between all RT groups. PWT (2.82%) and TRT (3.48%) improved balance in the first 8 weeks (baseline vs. 8 weeks; p < 0.05). PA levels increased in PWT, TRT and AST after 16 weeks (baseline vs. 16 weeks; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: All RT protocols improved PA levels and QoL after 16 weeks of training. For the improvement of balance, QoL and PA, older women can be subjected to PWT, AST and SET, and not be restricted to TRT.

Ischemic Preconditioning with High and Low Pressure Enhances Maximum Strength and Modulates Heart Rate Variability.

Background: The application of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) to resistance exercise has attracted some attention, owing to increases in muscle performance. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal occlusion pressure for this procedure. This study compared the acute effects of IPC with high and low pressure of occlusion on upper and lower limb maximal strength and heart rate variability in recreationally trained individuals. Methods: Sixteen recreationally trained men (25.3 ± 1.7 years; 78.4 ± 6.2 kg; 176.9 ± 5.4 cm; 25.1 ± 1.5 m2 kg−1) were thoroughly familiarized with one repetition maximum (1 RM) testing in the following exercises: bench press (BP), front latissimus pull-down (FLPD), and shoulder press (SP) for upper limbs, and leg press 45º (LP45), hack machine (HM), and Smith Squat (SS) for lower limbs. The 1 RM exercises were then randomly performed on three separate days: after a high pressure (220 mmHg, IPChigh) and a low pressure (20 mmHg, IPClow) IPC protocol and after no intervention (control, CON). Heart rate variability was also measured at rest, during and after the entire IPC protocol, and after the exercises. Results: Maximal strength was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in both IPChigh and IPClow compared with CON in all upper- and lower-limb exercises. There was no difference between the two experimental conditions. No significant differences were found in the comparison across the different experimental conditions for LFnu, HFnu, LF/HF ratio, and RMSSDms. Conclusions: IPC performed with both high and low pressures influenced heart rate variability, which may partly explain the maximal strength enhancement.

Ischemic Preconditioning Improves Handgrip Strength and Functional Capacity in Active Elderly Women.

BACKGROUND: Aging decreases some capacities in older adults, sarcopenia being one of the common processes that occur and that interfered with strength capacity. The present study aimed to verify the acute effect of IPC on isometric handgrip strength and functional capacity in active elderly women. METHODS: In a single-blind, placebo-controlled design, 16 active elderly women (68.1 ± 7.6 years) were randomly performed on three separate occasions a series of tests: (1) alone (control, CON); (2) after IPC (3 cycles of 5-min compression/5-min reperfusion at 15 mmHg above systolic blood pressure, IPC); and (3) after placebo compressions (SHAM). Testing included a handgrip isometric strength test (HIST) and three functional tests (FT): 30 s sit and stand up from a chair (30STS), get up and go time (TUG), and 6 min walk distance test (6MWT). RESULTS: HIST significantly increased in IPC (29.3 ± 6.9 kgf) compared to CON (27.3 ± 7.1 kgf; 7.1% difference; p = 0.01), but not in SHAM (27.7 ± 7.9; 5.5%; p = 0.16). The 30STS increased in IPC (20.1 ± 4.1 repetitions) compared to SHAM (18.5 ± 3.5 repetitions; 8.7%; p = 0.01) and CON (18.5 ± 3.9 repetitions; 8.6%; p = 0.01). TUG was significantly lower in IPC (5.70 ± 1.35 s) compared to SHAM (6.14 ± 1.37 s; -7.2%; p = 0.01), but not CON (5.91 ± 1.45 s; -3.7%; p = 0.24). The 6MWT significantly increased in IPC (611.5 ± 93.8 m) compared to CON (546.1 ± 80.5 m; 12%; p = 0.02), but not in SHAM (598.7 ± 67.6 m; 2.1%; p = 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that IPC can promote acute improvements in handgrip strength and functional capacity in active elderly women.

Physical and Physiological Predictors of FRAN CrossFit® WOD Athlete's Performance.

CrossFit® training is one of the fastest-growing fitness activities in the world due to its varied functional movement and competition experience. The performance is present in almost every workout of the day (WOD); however, there is a lack of knowledge in the science that did not allow us to fully understand the performance determinants of CrossFit WOD's like we do for other individual or team sports. The purpose of this study was to analyze the physical and physiological variables of recreational trained CrossFit athletes during one of the most famous WOD, FRAN, and to identify which variables best determine performance. Methods: Fifteen CrossFit practitioners performed, alone on separate days, 1RM and a maximum of repetitions of pull-ups test, 1RM and a maximum of repetitions of thrusters with 95 lb/43.2 kg, FRAN CrossFit WOD, and 2K Row test. Results: Blood lactate concentrate, HRmax, HRav, and RPE achieved higher values for 2K Row and maximum repetitions of thrusters. Maximum repetition of thrusters and pull-ups, 1RM of thrusters, and 2K Row resulted in moderate to strong correlation with FRAN performance (r = -0.78; r = -0.58; r = -0.67; r = 0.63, respectively). Conclusions and practical applications: FRAN performance was strongly related to maximal and endurance strength training of thrusters, which should be prioritized.

Ischemic Preconditioning Improves Resistance Training Session Performance.

ABSTRACT: da Silva Novaes, J, da Silva Telles, LG, Monteiro, ER, da Silva Araujo, G, Vingren, JL, Silva Panza, P, Reis, VM, Laterza, MC, and Vianna, JM. Ischemic preconditioning improves resistance training session performance. J Strength Cond Res 35(11): 2993-2998, 2021-The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in a resistance exercise (RE) training session on the number of repetitions performed, total volume, and rating of perceived exertion in recreationally trained and normotensive men. Sixteen recreationally trained and normotensive men completed 3 RE sessions in a counterbalanced and randomized order: (a) IPC protocol using 220 mm Hg followed by RE (IPC), (b) IPC cuff control protocol with 20 mm Hg followed by RE (CUFF), and (c) no IPC (control) followed by RE (CON). RE was performed with 3 sets of each exercise (bench press, leg press, lateral pulldown, hack machine squat, shoulder press, and Smith back squat) until concentric muscular failure, at 80% of one repetition maximum, with 90 seconds of rest between sets and 2 minutes of rest between exercises. Ischemic preconditioning and CUFF consisted of 4 cycles of 5 minutes of occlusion/low pressure alternating with 5 minutes of no occlusion (0 mm Hg) using a pneumatic tourniquet applied around the subaxillary region of the upper arm. For each condition, the number of repetitions completed, total volume of work performed, and rating of perceived exertion were determined. No significant difference was found for rating of perceived exertion between any experimental protocol. Ischemic preconditioning significantly (p < 0.05) increased the number of repetitions across exercises. Consequently, total volume performed (sum of total number of repetitions x load for each exercise) was significantly higher in IPC (46,170 kg) compared with CON (34,069 kg) and CUFF (36,590 kg) across all exercises. This work may have important implications for athletic populations because it demonstrates increase in muscle performance outcomes during a single RE session. Therefore, performing IPC before RE could be an important exercise prescription recommendation to increase maximum repetition performance and total volume of work performed and thus potentially increase desired training adaptations (i.e., strength and hypertrophy).

Ischemic Preconditioning Promotes Post-Exercise Hypotension in a Session of Resistance Exercise in Normotensive Trained Individuals.

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a method that has been used prior to resistance exercise to improve performance. However, little is known about its effect before a resistance exercise training session on hemodynamic responses. Thus, the aim of the study was to verify the acute effect of IPC before a session of resistance exercises on the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean blood pressure (MBP) of trained normotensive trained individuals. Sixteen men (25.3 ± 1.7 years; 78.4 ± 6.2 kg; 176.9 ± 5.4 cm, 25.1 ± 1.5 m2.kg-1) trained in resistance exercise (RE) (5.0 ± 1.7 years) were evaluated in five sessions on non-consecutive days. The first two sessions' subjects performed one repetition maximum (RM) test and retest, and for the next three sessions, they performed the experimental protocols: (a) IPC + RE; (b) SHAM + RE; (c) RE. The RE protocol consisted of six multi-joint exercises, three sets at 80% of 1RM until concentric failure. Blood pressure was monitored pre-session, immediately after and every 10 min for 60 min after RE. IPC consisted of 4 × 5 min of vascular occlusion/reperfusion at 220 mmHg. SHAM (fake protocol) consisted of 20 mmHg of vascular occlusion/reperfusion. The IPC + RE protocol showed significant reductions on SBP, DBP, and MBP compared with SHAM + RE (p < 0.05) and with RE (p < 0.05). The IPC + RE protocol presented a greater magnitude and duration of post-exercise hypotension (PEH) from 20 to 60 min after exercise in SBP (-11 to 14 mmHg), DBP (-5 to 14 mmHg), and MBP (-7 to 13 mmHg). Therefore, we can conclude that the application of IPC before an RE session potentiated the PEH in normotensive individuals trained in resistance exercise.