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 .
Long-term resistance training in the elderly: effects on dynamic strength, exercise capacity, muscle, and bone.
We examined the effects of 42 weeks of progressive weight-lifting training on dynamic muscle strength , peak power output in cycle ergometry , symptom limited endurance during progressive treadmill walking and stair climbing , knee extensor cross-sectional areas , and bone mineral density and content in healthy males and females aged 60 - 80 years , currently enrolled in a 2-year resistance training program . Subjects were r and omized into either exercise ( EX ) or control ( CON ) groups ( 60 - 70 years : 38 males and 36 females ; 70 - 80 years : 25 males and 43 females ) . EX trained several muscle groups twice per week for 42 weeks at intensities ranging from 50 - 80 % of the load that they could lift once only ( 1 RM ) ; CON did usual daily activities . After the 10 months there was no change in 1 RM strength in CON , but significant gains ( mean increases up to 65 % ) in EX ( no independent age or gender effects ) ; 30 % and 47 % of the increase in 1 RM had occurred by 6 and 12 weeks , respectively . In EX , the 7.1 % increase in peak cycling power output was significantly greater than in CON ( + 1.1 % ) . The 17.8 % improvement in symptom limited treadmill walking endurance was also greater than in CON ( + 3.4 % ) , but the difference between groups during stair climbing was not significant ( EX + 57 % , CON + 33 % ) . The cross-sectional areas of the knee extensors increased significantly by 5.5 % in EX but were unchanged in CON . There were no changes in bone mineral density or content in either group . We conclude that long-term resistance training in older people is feasible and results in increases in dynamic muscle strength , muscle size , and functional capacity
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 .