Mixed
Resistance training significantly improves muscle strength in healthy older adults (mean age ≥65), with optimal dose-response relationships defined by a training period of 50–53 weeks, intensity of 70–79% 1RM, time under tension of 6.0s, and rest intervals of 60s between sets.
To maximize muscle strength, older adults should engage in resistance training twice a week for about a year. Use weights that feel like 70-79% of your maximum lift, perform 2-3 sets of 7-9 reps, and rest 60 seconds between sets. Ensure each repetition takes about 6 seconds total (time under tension). This specific protocol yields the largest strength gains.
Meta-regression of data from 25 studies revealed that a resistance training (RT) program with the goal to increase healthy old adults’ muscle strength is characterized by a training period of 50–53 weeks, a training intensity of 70–79 % of the one-repetition maximum (1RM), a time under tension of 6 s per repetition, and a rest in between sets of 60 s.
Why this rating
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 RCTs, though limited by moderate methodological quality (mean PEDro score 4.6) and high heterogeneity.
Source
Dose–Response Relationships of Resistance Training in Healthy Old Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Ron Borde et al. · Sports Medicine · 2015
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