Serious adverse events were rare , and no serious events were reported to be directly related to the exercise programme .
This review provides evidence that PRT is an effective intervention for improving physical functioning in  older people , including improving strength and the performance of some simple and complex activities .
BACKGROUND Muscle weakness in old age is associated with physical function decline .
Progressive resistance strength training ( PRT ) exercises are design ed to increase strength .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of PRT on older people and identify adverse events .
Resistance training in postmenopausal women with and without hormone therapy.
PURPOSE The main purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of a 1-yr resistance-training program on body composition and muscle strength in postmenopausal women , and to describe the impact of hormone replacement therapy ( HRT ) on body composition changes , with and without exercise . Secondarily , we wanted to study dose-response relationships between measures of program compliance and changes in primary outcomes . METHODS Subjects were postmenopausal women ( 40 - 66 yr ) r and omly assigned to an exercise ( EX ) group ( N = 117 ) and a nonexercise group ( N = 116 ) . The EX group participated in a 1 yr trainer-supervised resistance-training program , 60 - 75 min.d-1 , 3 d.wk-1 . Lean soft tissue ( LST ) and fat tissue ( FT ) changes were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and strength by one-repetition maximum testing . RESULTS Significant ( P < 0.001 ) gains in LST were observed for women who exercised , regardless of HRT status , whereas women who did not exercise lost LST ( P < 0.05 ) if they were not taking HRT , and gained LST ( P = 0.08 ) if they were on HRT . The only significant FT losses were observed for women who exercised while on HRT ( P < 0.05 ) . Strength increases were observed at all sites ( P < 0.001 ) . Total weight lifted by subjects in their training sessions was a significant predictor of changes in LST ( P < 0.001 ) and strength ( P < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSIONS Resistance and weight-bearing exercise significantly changed total and regional body composition in postmenopausal women by increasing LST in all women and decreasing FT in women on HRT . Hormone therapy showed no independent effects on body composition , but it protected nonexercising women from losses in LST . The lean and muscle strength changes observed were partially dependent on the volume of training , as expressed by attendance and total weight lifted in 1 yr of training
Serious adverse events were rare , and no serious events were reported to be directly related to the exercise programme .
This review provides evidence that PRT is an effective intervention for improving physical functioning in  older people , including improving strength and the performance of some simple and complex activities .
BACKGROUND Muscle weakness in old age is associated with physical function decline .
Progressive resistance strength training ( PRT ) exercises are design ed to increase strength .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of PRT on older people and identify adverse events .