Influence of functional and traditional training on muscle power, quality of movement and quality of life in the elderly: a randomized and controlled clinical trial

Aging causes a reduction in the adaptive capacity of the organism. Therefore, there is a decrease in physical fitness, making it difficult to perform basic movements and the development of muscular power. Thus, to minimize this reduction, functional and traditional training can both be used; however there is no clarity about which is most effective. The aim of this study was to identify the influence of functional and traditional training on muscle power, quality of movement and quality of life in the elderly. Forty-four older women were randomly divided into functional group (FG n=18), traditional group (TG n=15) and control group (CG n=11). Thirty-six sessions lasting 50 minutes were performed. Quality of life (WHOQOL-bref), quality of movement (FMS) and muscular power were evaluated. FG and TG increased significantly in relation to control group and to the initial FMS values. In FG and TG, muscle power significantly improved compared to pre-test, but not in relation to the control group. Regarding quality of life, only FG presented significant improvement. Both applied methods demonstrate the ability to improve the quality of movement and muscle power. However, functional training achieved better results in quality of life and movement.