power training is feasible for elderly persons and has a small advantage over strength training for functional outcomes .
OBJECTIVE to determine the effects of power training with high movement velocity compared with conventional resistance training with low movement velocity for older community-dwelling people .
Lower extremity muscle function after strength or power training in older adults.
It is unclear whether strength training ( ST ) or power training ( PT ) is the more effective intervention at improving muscle strength and power and physical function in older adults . The authors compared the effects of lower extremity PT with those of ST on muscle strength and power in 45 older adults ( 74.8 + /- 5.7 yr ) with self-reported difficulty in common daily activities . Participants were r and omized to 1 of 3 treatment groups : PT , ST , or wait-list control . PT and ST trained 3 times/wk for 12 wk using knee-extension ( KE ) and leg-press ( LP ) machines at approximately 70 % of 1-repetition maximum ( 1RM ) . For PT , the concentric phase of the KE and LP was completed " as fast as possible , " whereas for ST the concentric phase was 2 - 3 s. Both PT and ST paused briefly at the midpoint of the movement and completed the eccentric phase of the movement in 2 - 3 s. PT and ST groups showed significant improvements in KE and LP 1RM compared with the control group . Maximum KE and LP power increased approximately twofold in PT compared with ST . At 12 wk , compared with control , maximum KE and LP power were significantly increased for the PT group but not for the ST group . In older adults with compromised function , PT leads to similar increases in strength and larger increases in power than ST
power training is feasible for elderly persons and has a small advantage over strength training for functional outcomes .
OBJECTIVE to determine the effects of power training with high movement velocity compared with conventional resistance training with low movement velocity for older community-dwelling people .