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 .
High Intensity Resistance Training: Effects on Bone in Older Men and Women
Abstract . There is evidence that high intensity resistance training promotes bone maintenance in older women , however , the effect of high intensity free weight training has not been investigated in older men or women . Furthermore , little is known about the chronic effect of weight training on serum insulin growth factor-I ( IGF-I ) in this population . We compared the effects of a moderate intensity seated resistance-training program with a high intensity st and ing free weight exercise program on bone mass and serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP3 in healthy older men and women . Twenty-eight men ( 54.6 ± 3.2 years ) and 26 nonestrogen-replaced women ( 52.8 ± 3.3 years ) served as their own controls for 12 weeks , then were r and omly assigned to a moderate or high intensity training group and trained three times/week for 24 weeks . Prior to and after the control period and at the end of training , bone mass and body composition were assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry ( DXA ) , muscle strength by isokinetic dynamometry , muscular power by Wingate Anaerobic Power Test , and IGF-I by radioimmunoassay ( RIA ) . A repeated measures analysis of covariance ( ANCOVA ) revealed that high intensity training result ed in a gain in spine BMD in men ( 1.9 % ) , P < 0.05 , but not in women , whereas moderate intensity training produced no changes in either gender at this site . Increases were observed at the greater trochanter , P < 0.03 , in men regardless of training intensity , but not in women at any hip site . However , when compared with zero , both men and women in the high intensity group demonstrated significant increases in trochanteric BMD ( 1.3 % and 2.0 % , respectively ) and a decrease in femoral BMD ( −1.8 % ) . Neither circulating serum IGF-I nor IGFBP3 were altered by either training regimen , but both training programs result ed in improvements in total body strength ( 37.62 % ) and lean mass ( males 4.1 % , females 3.1 % ) . We conclude that although resistance training of moderate to high intensity produced similar muscle changes in older adults , a higher magnitude is necessary to stimulate osteogenesis at the spine . However , at the spine , intensity was not sufficient to offset low levels of estrogen in early postmenopausal women . Furthermore , bone changes were not accompanied by changes in circulating serum levels of IGF-I or IGFBP3
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 .