Effects of a one-year exercise training program in adults over 70 years old: a study with a control group

Exercise training is known to improve exercise tolerance in elderly subjects. Therefore the present study aimed at investigating the effects of one year of combined endurance and resistance training in healthy older people. After baseline evaluation, subjects were assigned to either the training group (n=24, age 77.2+/-3.6) or the control group (n=16, age 76.1+/-4.8). Subjects in the control group did not change anything in their everyday activities, whereas subjects in the training group underwent moderately intensive combined exercise training, 3 hours a week over the course of one year. Breath-by-breath oxygen uptake and heart rate were measured at each workload during the symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test. Performance on the 6-minute (6-MWT) and 200-meter (200-MWT) walk tests was registered and maximal strength was measured on knee extensor and plantar flexor muscles. After training, oxygen uptake was significantly increased, both at the ventilatory threshold (+11.6%, p