PRT had a large positive effect on strength ( 41 trials , 1955 participants ) , but there was statistical heterogeneity that was not explained by differences in study quality , participant characteristics or the exercise program .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS PRT appears to be an effective intervention to increase strength in older people and has a positive effect on some functional limitations .
However , the effect of this intervention on more substantive outcomes such as measures of disability or HRQOL remains unclear .
BACKGROUND Muscle weakness in old age , is associated with physical disability and an increased risk of falls .
Progressive resistance strength ( PRT ) training exercises ( i.e. movements performed against a specific external force that is regularly increased during training ) are design ed to increase strength in older people .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of PRT on measures of physical disability , functional limitation and impairment in older people  , and identify adverse events .
Effects of a 16-week progressive high-intensity strength training (HIST) on indexes of bone turnover in men over 65 years: A randomized controlled study
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a 16-week progressive high-intensity strength training ( HIST ) program on peripheral markers of bone turnover ( bone Gla protein , BGP ; bone alkaline phosphatase , B-AP ; N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen , PINP ; C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen , ICTP ) in healthy , elderly men over 65 yr of age . Thirty healthy men ( aged 65–81 yr ) , performing light to moderate daily physical activity , were r and omly divided into two groups . Group 1 ( no.=16 ) followed a supervised 16-week progressive HIST program , while subjects of group 2 ( no.=14 ) , used as controls , were requested to maintain their habitual level of physical activity for 16 weeks . HIST program consisted of 6 different sets of exercise ( 2 involving the major muscle groups of the lower limb and 4 involving those of the upper limb ) . Three sessions/week , during which 10 repetitions of each exercise set were completed , were performed . Lower limb exercises shifted from 50 to 80 % of the one maximal repetition ( 1MR ) during the first month of the protocol and were thereafter maintained at an intensity of 80 % 1MR throughout the training . Upper limb exercises shifted from 40 to 65 % of 1MR with a similar pattern . All sessions were preceded by 15 min of cycloergometer exercise at 50 % of maximal oxygen uptake and by a warm-up of 15 repetitions at 20 % of 1MR of each exercise set . The HIST program did not significantly change BGP ( mean±SE , before : 15.6±1.2 μg/l vs after : 16.0±1.2 μg/l , NS ) and PINP levels ( before : 44.6±6.7 μg/l vs after : 43.1±6.0 μg/l , NS ) . On the contrary , serum B-AP significantly increased ( before : 50.2±6.1 IU/l vs after : 62.3±7.0 IU/l , p<0.001 ) and serum ICTP slightly reduced ( before : 4.0±0.3 μg/l vs after : 3.8±0.3 μg/l , p<0.05 ) . When bone turnover was expressed as the ratio between bone formation to bone resorption ( B-AP/ICTP ratio ) , a significant improvement in this ratio was found in all subjects of group 1 ( before : 12.9±1.3 IU/μg vs after : 17.3±1.5 IU/μg , p<0.0001 ) , while no significant changes were observed in Group 2 . No significant changes of IGF-I levels were observed after the HIST program ( before : 94.9±9.4 μg/l vs after : 89.9±9.7 μg/l ) . No significant changes of BGP , PINP , B-AP , ICTP , B-APICTP ratio and IGF-I levels were observed in controls ( group 2 ) during the 16 weeks of observation . Although the positive effects of a progressive HIST program  on B-AP levels and B-AP-ICTP ratio seem promising , the support of bone mass measurement and the determination of other bone markers are requested to better identify exercise protocol ( duration , intensity ) for elderly people
PRT had a large positive effect on strength ( 41 trials , 1955 participants ) , but there was statistical heterogeneity that was not explained by differences in study quality , participant characteristics or the exercise program .
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS PRT appears to be an effective intervention to increase strength in older people and has a positive effect on some functional limitations .
However , the effect of this intervention on more substantive outcomes such as measures of disability or HRQOL remains unclear .
BACKGROUND Muscle weakness in old age , is associated with physical disability and an increased risk of falls .
Progressive resistance strength ( PRT ) training exercises ( i.e. movements performed against a specific external force that is regularly increased during training ) are design ed to increase strength in older people .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of PRT on measures of physical disability , functional limitation and impairment in older people  , and identify adverse events .