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 .
Creatine supplementation enhances isometric strength and body composition improvements following strength exercise training in older adults.
We sought to determine whether creatine monohydrate ( CrM ) supplementation would enhance the increases in strength and fat-free mass that develop during resistance exercise training in older adults . Twenty-eight healthy men and women over the age of 65 years participated in a whole-body resistance exercise program 3 days per week for 14 weeks . The study participants were r and omly allocated , in a double-blind fashion , to receive either CrM ( 5 g/d + 2 g of dextrose ; n = 14 ) or placebo ( 7 g of dextrose ; n = 14 ) . The primary outcome measurements included the following : total body mass , fat-free mass , one-repetition maximum strength for each body part , isometric knee extension , h and grip , and dorsiflexion strength , chair st and performance , 30-m walk test , 14-stair climb performance , muscle fiber type and area , and intramuscular total creatine . Fourteen weeks of resistance exercise training result ed in significant increases in all measurements of strength and functional tasks and muscle fiber area for both groups ( p < .05 ) . CrM supplementation result ed in significantly greater increases in fat-free mass and total body mass , as compared with placebo ( p < .05 ) . The CrM group also showed a greater increase in isometric knee extension strength in men and women , as compared with placebo ( p < .05 ) , and also greater gains in isometric dorsiflexion strength ( p < .05 ) , but in men only . There was a significant increase in intramuscular total creatine in the CrM group ( p < .05 ) . Finally , there were no significant side effects of treatment or exercise training . This study confirms that supervised heavy resistance exercise training can safely increase muscle strength and functional capacity in older adults . The addition of CrM supplementation to the exercise stimulus enhanced the increase in total and fat-free mass , and gains in several indices of isometric muscle strength
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 .