Supertraining

The below study demonstrated 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.

Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults: 
changes in rapid muscle force, strength and power
P. Caserotti 1,2 , P. Aagaard 1,2 , J. Buttrup Larsen 3 , L. Puggaard 
1,2 
 
elderly • aging • strength training • power • countermovement jump
ABSTRACT

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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Jamie Carruthers
Wakefield, UK