Supertraining

The below abstracts are relevant to recent discussions:

Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults: 
changes in rapid muscle force, strength and power.

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008 Jan 30. 

Caserotti P, Aagaard P, Buttrup Larsen J, Puggaard L.
Age-related decline in muscle power predicts falls, motor impairments 
and disability. Recent guidelines suggested that training programs 
should be tailored to maximize muscle power. This study investigated 
the effects of 12 weeks of explosive-type heavy-resistance training 
(75-80% of 1 repetition maximum) in old (60-65 years, TG60) and very 
old (80-89 years, TG80) community-dwelling women. Training was 
performed with maximal intentional acceleration of the training load 
during the concentric movement phase.

 Maximal isometric voluntary muscle strength (MVC), rapid force 
capacity, assessed as rate of force development (RFD), and impulse, 
maximal muscle power during a countermovement jump (CMJ) and during 
unilateral leg extension task (LEP) were evaluated. RFD, impulse and 
MVC increased by 51%, 42% and 28% in TG80, and by 21%, 18% and 18% in 
TG60, respectively. CMJ jump height increased by 18% and 10% in TG80 
and TG60, respectively, while jump peak power increased in TG60 (5%). 
Finally, LEP increased 28% in TG80 and 12% in TG60. 

These findings demonstrate that explosive-type heavy-resistance 
training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in 
the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes 
in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with 
the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.

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Changes in power and force generation during coupled eccentric-
concentric versus concentric muscle contraction with training and 
aging.

Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008 May;103(2):151-61. 

Caserotti P, Aagaard P, Puggaard L.

Age-related decline in maximal concentric muscle power is associated 
with frailty and functional impairments in the elderly. Compared to 
concentric contraction, mechanical muscle output is generally 
enhanced when muscles are rapidly pre-stretched (eccentric 
contraction), albeit less pronounced with increasing age. 

Exercise has been recommended to prevent loss of muscle power and 
function and recent guidelines indicate training program for 
increasing muscle power highly relevant for elderly subjects. This 
study examined the differences in muscle power, force and movement 
pattern during concentric-alone and coupled eccentric-concentric 
contraction and selected functional motor performances before and 
after 36-week multicomponent training including aerobic, strength, 
balance, flexibility and coordination components in elderly males. 
Vertical force, excursion, velocity, power and acceleration of the 
body center of mass were measured in two standardised vertical jumps 
(squatting jump, SQJ; countermovement jump, CMJ). Pre-stretch 
enhancement during CMJ did not improve performance [i.e., no enhanced 
maximal muscle power (P (peak)) and jump height (JH)] compared to 
concentric-alone muscle contraction (SQJ). 

Nevertheless, pre-stretch enhancement occurred as for similar SQJ and 
CMJ maximal performance, elderly people employed lower mechanical 
work, higher mean muscle power (P (mean)), shorter concentric phase 
duration and shorter body center of mass displacement during CMJ. 
Post training, CMJ P(peak), P (mean) and JH increased in training 
group (P < 0.05) while P (peak) and JH decreased in control group 
during the CMJ and SQJ (P < 0.05). In conclusion, long-term training 
counteracted the age-related decline in muscle power and functional 
performance observed in the control subjects, while substantial gains 
in muscular performance were observed in the trained elderly.

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Mechanical muscle function, morphology, and fiber type in lifelong 
trained elderly.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Nov;39(11):1989-96. 

Aagaard P, Magnusson PS, Larsson B, Kjaer M, Krustrup P.

PURPOSE: Maximal muscle contraction force and muscle mass are both 
reduced during the natural aging process. Long-term training may be 
used to attenuate this age-related loss in muscle function and muscle 
size. METHODS: Maximum isometric quadriceps strength (MVC), rate of 
force development (RFD), and muscle fiber composition and size (CSA) 
were studied in elderly individuals (68-78 yr) chronically exposed (> 
50 yr) to either endurance (E) or strength (S) training, and in age-
matched, untrained (U) elderly group. RESULTS: E and S showed greater 
MVC than did U. Contractile RFD was elevated in S compared with U, 
and S also demonstrated greater type II fiber CSA than did U and E. 
The proportion of type I fibers was greater in E compared with U and 
S. 

CONCLUSIONS: Muscle fiber size and mechanical muscle performance, 
particularly RFD, were consistently elevated in aged individuals 
exposed to chronic (i.e., lifelong) strength training. This relative 
preservation in muscle morphology and function may provide an 
important physical reserve capacity to retain muscle mass and 
function above the critical threshold for independent living at old 
age.

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Jamie Carruthers
Wakefield, UK