Short-Term, Light- to Moderate-Intensity Exercise Training Improves Leg Muscle Strength in the Oldest Old: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of an 8-week exercise training program with a special focus on light- to moderate-intensity resistance exercises (30-70% of one repetition maximum, 1RM) and a subsequent 4-week training cessation period (detraining) on muscle strength and functional capacity in participants aged 90 and older. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial performed during March to September 2009. SETTING Geriatric nursing home. PARTICIPANTS Forty nonagenarians (90-97) were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group (16 women and 4 men per group). INTERVENTION Eight-week muscle strength exercise intervention focused on lower limb strength exercises of light to moderate intensity. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcome: 1RM leg press. Secondary outcomes: handgrip strength, 8-m walk test, 4-step stairs test, Timed Up and Go test, and number of falls. RESULTS A significant group by time interaction effect (P=.02) was observed only for the 1RM leg press. In the intervention group, 1RM leg press increased significantly with training by 10.6 kg [95% confidence interval (CI)=4.1-17.1 kg; P=.01]. Except for the mean group number of falls, which were 1.2 falls fewer per participant in the intervention group (95% CI=0.0-3.0; P=.03), no significant training effect on the secondary outcome measures was found. CONCLUSION Exercise training, even of short duration and light to moderate intensity, can increase muscle strength while decreasing fall risk in nonagenarians.