Functional Mobility in the Elderly: Influence of Morphological, Neuromuscular and Training Parameters

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Life expectancy and elderly population are increasing. Health professionals try to provide longevity with good quality of life for this population, through the functional independence maintenance. In this context, physical exercise has an important role, specially the strength training. The ability to produce muscle strength is positively associated with the functionality and independence of older people. Different types of strength training can lead to different neuromuscular and functional gains. These types of interventions can help health professionals to determine characteristics of training for the elderly, aiming the maintenance of their functional independence. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a concentric strength training versus a concentric-eccentric strength training for knee flexors and extensors on structural, neuromuscular and functional parameters in older people, as well as to investigate the effect of a detraining period. Additionally, the investigators will try to identify which structural and neuromuscular parameters of lower limbs are better related to the functionality.

Official Title
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Functional Mobility in the Elderly: Influence of Morphological, Neuromuscular and Training

Conditions
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Aging

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Concentric training
* Other: Concentric-Eccentric training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Male; 65 years of age or more; able to walk independently; not engaged in regular physical exercise. Exclusion Criteria: Auditory, vestibular, visual and/or neuromusculoskeletal impairments that could influence the tests and the training; severe cognitive impairment; lower limb surgery; osteoporosis; lower limb pain.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years
Maximum Age: 85 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Quadruple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Concentric training<br>Concentric training | Other: Concentric training<br>* Subjects will be submitted to 8 weeks (16 sessions) of a concentric training for knee flexors and knee extensors. This training will be performed in an isokinetic dynamometer at 70% of the subject's maximal voluntary isometric contraction.<br>|
| Experimental: Concentric-eccentric training<br>Concentric-eccentric training | Other: Concentric-Eccentric training<br>* Subjects will be submitted to 8 weeks (16 sessions) of a concentric-eccentric training for knee flexors and knee extensors. This training will be performed in an isokinetic dynamometer at 70% of the subject's maximal voluntary isometric contraction.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pennation angle of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally. | Pennation angle at rest | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Thickness of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally. | Muscle thickness at rest | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Fascicle length of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally. | Fascicle length at rest | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Echo intensity of rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, bilaterally. | Echo intensity determined from a gray scale analysis of the muscles at rest | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Countermovement vertical jump | Maximal vertical height in the countermovement jump | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Timed-up-&-go | Time to rise from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back and sit again | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Unipodal static balance | Range in anterior-posterior and medio-lateral center of pressure movement during unipodal evaluation during 30 seconds | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Gait speed | Gait speed for walking 10 meters at self-selected speed | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Stair ascent and descent time | Time to stair ascent and descent stairs | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| 6-minutes walking test | The distance that the subjects can walk during 6 minutes | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Sit-to-stand | Maximal number of repetitions during 30 seconds | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Power of knee extensors and knee flexors | Power during maximal concentric and eccentric contractions | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Rate of torque production of knee extensors and knee flexors | Rate of torque production during maximal isometric contractions | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Strength of knee extensors and knee flexors | Maximal isometric strength | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Strength of knee extensors and knee flexors | Maximal concentric strength | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 
| Strength of knee extensors and knee flexors | Maximal eccentric strength | First evaluation, change from first evaluation to baseline, change from baseline to 8 weeks of training, change from 8 weeks of training to 4 weeks of detraining and change from 4 weeks of detraining to 8 weeks of detraining | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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aging, strength training, functionality