Finally , muscle power testing was found to be safe in older people with a broad range of health and functional states
Background Muscle power has been proposed to be the primary therapeutic target for resistance training interventions aim ed at enhancing physical function in older adults .
However , no recommendations exist on ideal testing protocol s to assess muscle power in older adults , and the safety of this procedure has not been adequately evaluated in the literature .
Methods A systematic review was conducted to identify studies evaluating muscle power exerted by older people in resistance exercises through May 2017 .
Are changes in leg power responsible for clinically meaningful improvements in mobility in older adults?
OBJECTIVES From among physiological attributes commonly targeted in rehabilitation , to identify those in which changes led to clinical ly meaningful differences ( CMDs ) in mobility outcomes . DESIGN Secondary analysis of data collected for a r and omized controlled trial of exercise using binary outcomes defined by recording a large CMD ( Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)=1 unit ; gait speed (GS)=0.1 m/s ) . Iterative models were performed to evaluate possible confounding between physiological variables and relevant covariates . SETTING Outpatient rehabilitation centers . PARTICIPANTS Community-dwelling mobility-limited older adults ( n=116 ) participating in a 16-week r and omized controlled trial of two modes of exercise .  MEASUREMENTS Physiological measures included leg power , leg strength , balance as measured according to the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment ( POMA ) , and rate pressure product at the maximal stage of an exercise tolerance test . Outcomes included GS and SPPB . Leg power and leg strength were measured using computerized pneumatic strength training equipment and recorded in Watts and Newtons , respectively . RESULTS Participants were 68 % female , had a mean age of 75.2 , a mean of 5.5 chronic conditions , and a baseline mean SPPB score of 8.7 . After controlling for age , site , group assignment , and baseline outcome values , leg power was the only attribute in which changes were significantly associated with a large CMD in SPPB ( odds ratio (OR)=1.48 , 95 % confidence interval (CI)=1.09 - 2.02 ) and GS ( OR=1.31 , 95 % CI=1.01 - 1.70 ) . CONCLUSION Improvements in leg power , independent of strength , appear to make an important contribution to clinical ly meaningful improvements in SPPB and GS
Finally , muscle power testing was found to be safe in older people with a broad range of health and functional states
Background Muscle power has been proposed to be the primary therapeutic target for resistance training interventions aim ed at enhancing physical function in older adults .
However , no recommendations exist on ideal testing protocol s to assess muscle power in older adults , and the safety of this procedure has not been adequately evaluated in the literature .
Methods A systematic review was conducted to identify studies evaluating muscle power exerted by older people in resistance exercises through May 2017 .