Can resistance training improve mental health outcomes in older adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyze the effects of resistance training (RT) and to compare the different RT prescriptions, sample characteristics, and mental health outcomes (depressive and anxiety symptoms) in older adults. Methods All studies that were available on 28th April 2023. For the analysis of intervention effects on depressive and anxiety symptoms, standardized mean differences and standard errors were calculated. Meta-analyses using random-effects models, employing robust variance meta-regression for multilevel data structures, with adjustments for small samples. Results For depressive symptoms, the mean effect was - 0.94 (95 %CI: -1.45 - -0.43, P< 0.01, I2= 93.4 %), and for anxiety symptoms, the mean effect was -1.33 (95 %CI: -2.10 - -0.56, P< 0.01, I2= 92.3 %). The mean effect was -0.51 (95 %CI: -0.67 - -0.35, P< 0.01, I2= 36.7 %) for older adults without mental disorders, and those with mental disorders the mean effect was ES= -2.15 (95 %CI: -3.01 - - 1.29, P< 0.01, I2= 91.5 %). Conclusion RT was able to improve mental health outcomes in individuals with and without mental disorders, and some RT characteristics influenced the effect of RT on mental health.

Meeting 24-h movement behavior guidelines is linked to academic engagement, psychological functioning, and cognitive difficulties in youth with internalizing problems.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate associations of meeting 24-h movement behavior (24-HMB: physical activity [PA], screen time [ST] in the school-aged youth, and sleep) guidelines with indicators of academic engagement, psychological functioning, and cognitive function in a national representative sample of U.S. youth. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1794 participants aged 6 to 17 years old were included for multivariable logistic regression to determine the above-mentioned associations, while adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates. RESULTS: The proportion of participants who met 24-HMB guideline(s) varied greatly (PA+ ST+ sleep = 34 [weighted 1.17 %], PA + ST = 23 [weighted 1.72 %], PA + sleep = 52 [weighted 2.15 %], PA = 34 [weighted 2.88 %], ST = 142 [weighted 7.5 %], ST+ sleep = 209 [weighted 11.86 %], sleep = 725 [weighted 35.5 %], none = 575 [weighted 37.22 %]). Participants who met ST guideline alone and integrated (ST + Sleep and ST + sleep + PA) guidelines demonstrated the consistently beneficial associations with learning interest/curiosity, caring for school performance, completing required homework, resilience, cognitive difficulties, self-regulation (ps < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Meeting 24-HMB guidelines in an isolated or integrative manner was associated with improved academic engagement, psychological functioning, and reduced cognitive difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of the promotion of 24-HMB guidelines in youth with internalizing problems. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether changes or modifications of meeting specific 24-HMB guidelines (especially ST) is beneficial for youth with internalizing problems.

Resistance Training for Older Women: Do Adaptive Responses Support the ACSM and NSCA Position Stands?

PURPOSE: The optimal intensity of resistance training (RT) to improve muscular, physical performance, and metabolic adaptations still needs to be well established for older adults. Based on current position statements, we compared the effects of two different RT loads on muscular strength, functional performance, skeletal muscle mass, hydration status, and metabolic biomarkers in older women. METHODS: One hundred one older women were randomly allocated to perform a 12-wk whole-body RT program (eight exercises, three sets, three nonconsecutive days a week) into two groups: 8-12 repetitions maximum (RM) and 10-15RM. Muscular strength (1RM tests), physical performance (motor tests), skeletal muscle mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), hydration status (bioelectrical impedance), and metabolic biomarkers (glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-c, HDL-c, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein) were measured at baseline and posttraining. RESULTS: Regarding muscular strength, 8-12RM promoted higher 1RM increases in chest press (+23.2% vs +10.7%, P < 0.01) and preacher curl (+15.7% vs +7.4%, P < 0.01), but not in leg extension (+14.9% vs +12.3%, P > 0.05). Both groups improved functional performance ( P < 0.05) in gait speed (4.6%-5.6%), 30 s chair stand (4.6%-5.9%), and 6 min walking (6.7%-7.0%) tests, with no between-group differences ( P > 0.05). The 10-15RM group elicited superior improves in the hydration status (total body water, intracellular and extracellular water; P < 0.01), and higher gains of skeletal muscle mass (2.5% vs 6.3%, P < 0.01), upper (3.9% vs 9.0%, P < 0.01) and lower limbs lean soft tissue (2.1% vs 5.4%, P < 0.01). Both groups improved their metabolic profile. However, 10-15RM elicited greater glucose reductions (-0.2% vs -4.9%, P < 0.05) and greater HDL-c increases (-0.2% vs +4.7%, P < 0.01), with no between-group differences for the other metabolic biomarkers ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that 8-2RM seems more effective than 10-15RM for increasing upper limbs' muscular strength, whereas the adaptative responses for lower limbs and functional performance appear similar in older women. In contrast, 10-15RM seems more effective for skeletal muscle mass gains, and increased intracellular hydration and improvements in metabolic profile may accompany this adaptation.

Is the Walking Impairment Questionnaire a surrogate marker of 6-minute walking test performance in patients with peripheral artery disease with different degrees of claudication symptoms?

AIM: To analyze the associations between the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in absolute or relative performance in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and different degrees of claudication symptoms. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-seven patients with PAD and claudication symptoms participated in the study. All patients underwent 6MWT and WIQ tests. Patients were divided into tertile groups according to their 6MWT performance (1st tertile = severe, 2nd = moderate, 3rd = mild). Multiple linear regression was performed to investigate the association between WIQ scores and the achievement of expected performance in the 6MWT. RESULTS: Claudication onset distance and time, total walking distance, and the percentage of the predicted values had a significant weak correlation ( P  < 0.01) with WIQ scores (distance, speed, and stair-climbing capacity). The correlations for almost all variables were slightly higher in the 1st tertile compared with the 2nd and 3rd tertiles (i.e. WIQ-distance and Claudication onset time, r  = 0.25 and 0.12, WIQ-distance and Claudication onset distance, r  = 0.34 and 0.18; WIQ-distance and total walking distance, r  = 0.23 and 0.18, respectively). Multilinear regression confirmed a slightly superior relationship in the 1st tertile compared with the 2nd tertile (i.e. WIQ-distance and Claudication onset time, R2  = 0.24 and R2  = 0.01; WIQ-distance and Claudication onset distance, R2  = 0.25 and R2  = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: WIQ is weakly associated with absolute and relative 6MWT performance in patients with PAD. Despite slightly better correlations in patients with severe claudication symptoms, WIQ scores must be used with care as a surrogate marker of 6MWT performance in this group.

Patterns of sedentary behavior in adults: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Sedentary behavior (SB) has been associated with adverse health outcomes, however, it is not completely clear whether total time in SB during the day or prolonged uninterrupted SB are interrelated. The aim of the current study was to describe the different patterns of SB of adults, their relationships, and associated factors. Methods: The sample included 184 adults aged ranging from 18 to 59 years old. SB was objectively measured by an accelerometer and the following SB pattern parameters were obtained: total time in sedentary bouts, mean time of sedentary bouts, and total time in sedentary breaks. Demographic data (age and sex), anthropometry [weight, height, body mass index (BMI)], blood pressure (BP), medical history (self-reported comorbid conditions), and cardiac autonomic modulation, were assessed to identify factors associated with SB. Multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the relationship between SB parameters and the associated factors. Results: The parameters of SB indicated 2.4 (0.9) h/day for total time in sedentary bouts, 36.4 (7.9) min for the mean time of sedentary bouts, and 9.1 (1.9) h/day for the total time in sedentary breaks. Multiple adjusted regression indicated that age was the only factor associated with SB patterns (p < 0.05) after adjustment for confounding variables (sex, age, BMI, dyslipidemia, systolic and diastolic BP). Young adults (18-39 years old) spent more time in sedentary bouts and less time in uninterrupted sedentary bouts compared to middle-aged adults (40-59 years old) (2.58 (0.88) h/day vs. 2.13 (0.90) h/day, respectively; p = 0.001 and 34.5 (5.8) min 18-39 years old vs. 38.8 (9.6) min 40-59 years old; p ≤ 0.001; respectively). The total time in sedentary breaks was similar between age groups (p = 0.465). The total time in sedentary bouts was significantly correlated with the mean time of sedentary bouts (r = -0.58; p ≤ 0.001), and with the total time in sedentary breaks (r = -0.20; p = 0.006). The mean time of sedentary bouts was significantly related to the total time in sedentary breaks (r -= 0.19; p = 0.007). Discussion and Conclusion: In conclusion, age seems to be a relevant factor associated with sedentary behavior with young adults spending more time in SB and accumulating this behavior in a higher amount of sedentary bouts compared to middle-aged adults.

The mediation role of social network size and perception in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms: a prospective analysis from the SHARE study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mediating role of social network size and perceived quality in the associations of physical activity with quality of life and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults. METHOD: We analyzed information of 10,569 middle-aged and older adults from waves 2 (2006-2007), 4 (2011-2012), and 6 (2015) of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe study (SHARE). Data on physical activity (moderate and vigorous intensities), social network (size and quality), depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale), and quality of life (CASP) were self-reported. Sex, age, country of residency, schooling, occupational status, mobility, and baseline values of the outcome were used as covariates. We created mediation models to test the mediating effect of social network size and quality in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Social network size partly mediated the association between vigorous physical activity and depressive symptoms (7.1%; 95%CI: 1.7-12.6) as well as the association between moderate (9.9%; 1.6-19.7) and vigorous (8.1%; 0.7-15.4) physical activity and quality of life. Social network quality did not mediate any of the associations tested. CONCLUSION: We conclude that social network's size, but not satisfaction, mediates part of the association of physical activity with depressive symptoms and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. Future physical activity interventions among middle-aged and older adults should consider increasing social interactions to facilitate benefits for mental health-related outcomes.

Effect of Resistance Exercise Order on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

We compared the effects of two specific resistance training (RT) exercise orders on cardiovascular risk factors. Forty-four untrained older women (>60 years) were randomly assigned to three groups: control (CON, n = 15), multi-joint to single-joint (MJ-SJ, n = 14), and single-joint to multi-joint (SJ-MJ, n = 15) exercise orders. Training groups performed a whole-body RT program (eight exercises, 3 × 10−15 repetitions for each exercise) over 12 weeks in 3 days/week. Body fat, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c, glucose, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, C-reactive protein, total radical-trapping antioxidant (TRAP), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), ferrous oxidation-xylenol (FOX), and nitric oxide concentrations (NOx) were determined pre- and post-intervention. Significant interaction group × time (p < 0.05) revealed reducing fat mass and trunk fat and improvements in glucose, LDL-c, IL-10, TNF-α, C-reactive protein, FOX, and AOPP concentrations in both training groups, without differences between them (p > 0.05). The results suggest that 12 weeks of RT, regardless of exercise order, elicit positive adaptations on body fat and metabolic biomarkers similarly in older women.

Effect of Resistance Exercise Orders on Health Parameters in Trained Older Women: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the effects of four resistance exercise orders on muscular strength, body composition, functional fitness, cardiovascular risk factors, and mental health parameters in trained older women. METHODS: The intervention lasted 63 wk. Sixty-one physically independent women (>60 yr) after completing a 12-wk resistance training (RT) preconditioning phase were randomized into four different exercise orders groups to perform 12 wk of RT: multijoint to single-joint and upper- to lower-body, single-joint to multijoint and upper- to lower-body, multijoint to single-joint and lower- to upper-body, and single-joint to multijoint and lower- to upper-body. This was followed by a 12-wk detraining period and another 12-wk RT in which exercise orders were crossed over between MJ-SJ and SJ-MJ conditions. Body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), muscular strength (one-repetition maximum tests), functional fitness (gait speed, walking agility, 30-s chair stand, and 6-min walk tests), cardiovascular risk factors (glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, advanced oxidation protein product, total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter, and nitric oxide), depressive (Geriatric Depression Scale) and anxiety symptoms (Beck Anxiety Inventory), and cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Trail Making, verbal fluency, and Stroop test) were analyzed. RESULTS: After the final training period, all groups presented significant improvements ( P < 0.05) in almost all analyzed variables (muscular strength, body composition, functional tests, blood biomarkers, and mental health parameters), without significant difference among exercise orders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that RT exercise orders in which MJ, SJ, upper, or lower-body exercises are performed first have similar effects on health parameters in trained older women.

Differential Responsiveness for Strength Gain Between Limbs After Resistance Training in Older Women: Impact on Interlimb Asymmetry Reduction.

ABSTRACT: Nunes, JP, Marcori, AJ, Ribeiro, AS, Cunha, PM, Kassiano, W, Costa, BDV, Aguiar, AF, Nakamura, M, Mayhew, JL, and Cyrino, ES. Differential responsiveness for strength gain between limbs after resistance training in older women: Impact on interlimb asymmetry reduction. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3209-3216, 2022-The present study compared strength responses between preferred (PREF) and nonpreferred (N-PREF) legs in older women. Muscular strength was measured unilaterally using an isokinetic dynamometer and was analyzed for reproducibility scores, acute performance, and responsiveness to a resistance training (RT) program. One hundred eleven women (aged ≥60 years) performed 12 weeks of whole-body RT (3 times a week; 4 lower-body exercises). Reproducibility scores (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.920; following test-retests in part of the sample at pretraining; n = 19), average acute performances, and average strength gains (PREF = ∼6.9%; N-PREF = ∼7.2%) were similar between legs (p > 0.05). However, the individual analyses showed that some subjects were considered responders to strength gains in 1 leg, whereas nonresponders in the other. Nonetheless, when considering the responses in all strength tests, most subjects (91%) were considered responder to at least 1 measure. In addition, it was observed that the strength ratio between PREF/N-PREF legs was altered for those who presented some asymmetry at baseline, as the limbs became more symmetrical in all strength measures after the RT. In conclusion, we observed that some older women may have different levels of strength between legs; however, a traditional 12-week RT program with bilateral exercises can reduce such asymmetry by inducing greater strength gains in the weaker leg.

Improvement of Oxidative Stress in Older Women Is Dependent on Resistance Training Volume: Active Aging Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT: Cunha, PM, Ribeiro, AS, Padilha, C, Nunes, JP, Schoenfeld, BJ, Cyrino, LT, Tomeleri, CM, Nascimento, MA, Antunes, M, Fernandes, RR, Barbosa, DS, Venturini, D, Burini, RC, Sardinha, LB, and Cyrino, ES. Improvement of oxidative stress in older women is dependent on resistance training volume: Active aging longitudinal study. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 1141-1146, 2022-The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of resistance training (RT) performed with a higher versus lower training volume on oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers in older women. Thirty-eight older women (≥60 years) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: a group that performed 1 set per exercise (low volume [LV], n = 18) or 3 sets per exercise (high volume [HV], n = 20). The whole-body RT consisted of a 12-week RT program involving 8 exercises performed with sets of 10-15 repetitions maximum, 3 days per week. Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP), and ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX) were used as OS biomarkers. The composite Z-score of the percentage changes from pre- to posttraining of OS biomarkers according to groups was calculated. A significant main effect of time (p < 0.05) was found for AOPP (LV = -7.3% vs. HV = -12.2%) and TRAP (LV = +1.5% vs. HV = +15.5%) concentrations, without a statistical difference between the groups (p > 0.05). A significant group vs. time interaction (p < 0.001) was revealed for FOX (LV = +6.4% vs. HV = -8.9%). The overall analysis indicated higher positive changes for HV than LV (composed Z-score: HV = 0.41 ± 1.22 vs. LV = -0.37 ± 1.03; p < 0.05). Our results suggest that a greater volume of RT seems to promote superior improvements on OS biomarkers in older women.

Resistance training reduces depressive and anxiety symptoms in older women: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to analyze the effect of resistance training (RT) on depressive and anxiety symptomsand examine the possible consequences of age, cognitive alterations, and muscular strength on such symptoms.Method: Forty-one older women (68 ± 8 years) composed a training group (TG) or a control group (CG). The TG was submitted to a supervised, progressive RT program over 12 weeks, involving eight whole-body exercises performed with three sets of 8-12 repetitions, three days per week, whereas CG remains with no intervention for the same period. Muscular strength (one-repetition maximum tests), cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment - MoCA; Verbal Fluency Tests), depression (15-item eriatric Depression Scale - GDS-15), and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory - BAI) were assessed before and after the intervention period. RESULTS: There were observed significant (P < 0.001) RT-induced improvements on total muscular strength (TG: pre = 122.4 ± 24.1/post = 134.3 ± 36.7; CG: pre = 105.4 ± 15.4/post = 99.2 ± 17.1) and MoCA (TG: pre =21.7 ± 4.5/post = 22.5 ± 4.7; CG: pre = 20.3 ± 3.7/post = 19.3 ± 4.1). Depressive and anxiety symptoms (even when adjusted by chronological age and changes in muscular strength or cognitive function) were reduced with RT according to GDS-15 (TG: pre = 2.26 ± 1.53/post = 1.92 ± 1.68; CG: pre =2.68 ± 1.13/post = 2.25 ± 1.18) and BAI (TG: pre = 4.07 ± 5.68/post = 2.33 ± 3.71; CG: pre = 5.18 ± 7.70/post = 9.81 ± 7.10). The time x group interactions were significant for depressive and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a 12-week RT program reduces depressive and anxiety symptoms, regardless of age, muscular strength, and cognition function in older women.

Volume Reduction: Which Dose is Sufficient to Retain Resistance Training Adaptations in Older Women?

We compared the effects of different resistance training (RT) volume reduction strategies on muscular strength and lean soft-tissue (LST) in older women. Fifty-seven physically independent women (>60 years) performed a 20-week pre-conditioning phase of a standardized whole-body RT program (eight exercises, three sets, 8-12 repetitions, three sessions a week), and were then randomly assigned to one of the following conditions: reduced volume for a single set (RV1, n=20) or two sets (RV2, n=19), or maintained volume of three sets (MV, n=18) for 8 weeks (specific training phase). Muscular strength in the chest press, leg extension, and preacher curl exercises was determined by one-repetition maximum tests. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry device was used to estimate LST. An increase in muscular strength (16.3-32.1%) and LST (3.2-7.9%) was observed after the pre-conditioning phase. There was an increase in chest press for all groups (9.4-16.7%) after the specific training phase. In contrast, only MV increased significantly in the leg extension (4.4%). No between-group differences were revealed for LST in the specific training phase. Our results suggest that reduced RT volume from three to one set per exercise for 8 weeks seems sufficient to retain neuromuscular adaptations in older women.

Does resistance training promote enough muscular strength increases to move weak older women to better strength categories?

We compared the magnitude of muscular strength changes among older women occupants of different strength tertiles in response to progressive resistance-training (RT). Additionally, we examined the possibility of older women initially characterized as weak (occupants of the lower tertile of strength status) can achieve a higher muscular strength level to be inserted into a better category (middle or upper tertiles). The present investigation was attended by 113 physically independent older women (>60 years old). Muscular strength was assessed by one-repetition maximum (1RM) tests on chest press, preacher curl, leg extension exercises, and by the isokinetic (ISOK) peak torque of knee extension and flexion at 60 and 180°/s angular velocities. The RT lasted 12 weeks (3 x/week) and consisted of eight exercises for the whole body. The participants were divided into tertiles (LOWER, MIDDLE, and UPPER) according to the performance at baseline for each strength measure. After RT, the LOWER tertile showed more significant magnitude gains than the UPPER tertile to the 1RM in leg extension and preacher curl and isokinetic measurements (6.9-36.3%). A considerable number of older women increased muscular strength enough to move from LOWER to MIDDLE or UPPER tertiles. From our results, it can be inferred that older women occupants of the lower strength tertile show more significant muscular strength gains when compared to their stronger counterparts. Moreover, 12 weeks of RT seem to be sufficient to transfer older women previously characterized as "weak" to a better category.

What influence does resistance exercise order have on muscular strength gains and muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objectives of this paper were to: (a) systematically review studies that explored the effects of exercise order (EO) on muscular strength and/or hypertrophy; (b) pool their results using a meta-analysis; and (c) provide recommendations for the prescription of EO in resistance training (RT) programmes. A literature search was performed in four databases. Studies were included if they explored the effects of EO on dynamic muscular strength and/or muscle hypertrophy. The meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model with Hedges' g effect size (ES). The methodological quality of studies was appraised using the TESTEX checklist. Eleven good-to-excellent methodological quality studies were included in the review. When all strength tests, that is, both in multi-joint (MJ) and single-joint (SJ) exercises were considered, there was no difference between the EOs (ES = -0.11; p = 0.306). However, there was a difference between the MJ-to-SJ and SJ-to-MJ orders for strength gains in the MJ exercises, favouring starting the exercise session with MJ exercises (ES = 0.32; p = 0.034), and the strength gains in the SJ exercises, favouring starting the exercise session with SJ exercises (ES = -0.58; p = 0.032). No significant effect of EO was observed for hypertrophy combining site-specific and indirect measures (ES = 0.03; p = 0.862). In conclusion, increases in muscular strength are the largest in the exercises performed at the beginning of an exercise session. For muscle hypertrophy, our meta-analysis indicated that both MJ-to-SJ and SJ-to-MJ EOs may produce similar results.

Comparision of Low and High Volume of Resistance Training on Body Fat and Blood Biomarkers in Untrained Older Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACT: Cunha, PM, Tomeleri, CM, Nascimento, MA, Mayhew, JL, Fungari, E, Cyrino, LT, Barbosa, DS, Venturini, D, and Cyrino, ES. Comparision of low and high volume of resistance training on body fat and blood biomarkers in untrained older women: a randomized clinical trial. J Strength Cond Res 35(1): 1-8, 2021-The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of resistance training (RT) performed with 2 different volumes on body fat and blood biomarkers in untrained older women. Sixty-five physically independent older women (≥60 years) were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: low-volume (LV) training group, high-volume (HV) training group, and a control group. Both training groups performed RT for 12 weeks, using 8 exercises of 10-15 repetitions maximum for each exercise. The low-volume group performed only a single set per exercise, whereas the HV group performed 3 sets. Anthropometric, body fat (%), trunk fat, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very LDL-c (VLDL-c), glucose (GLU), C-reactive protein (CRP), and composite Z-score were measured. The HV group obtained greater improvements compared with the LV group (p < 0.05) for TG (LV = -10.5% vs. HV = -16.6%), VLDL-c (LV = -6.5% vs. HV = -14.8%), GLU (LV = -4.7% vs. HV = -11.1%), CRP (LV = -13.2% vs. HV = -30.8%), % body fat (LV = -2.4% vs. HV = -6.1%), and composite Z-score (LV = -0.13 ± 0.30 vs. HV = -0.57 ± 0.29). Trunk fat was reduced (p < 0.05) only in the HV group (-6.8%). We conclude that RT performed in higher volume seems to be the most appropriate strategy to reduce body fat (%), trunk fat, improve blood biomarkers, and reduce composite Z-score in older women.

Responsiveness to muscle mass gain following 12 and 24 weeks of resistance training in older women.

BACKGROUND: Many factors may influence the magnitude of individual responses to resistance training (RT). How the manipulation of training volume and frequency affects responsiveness level for muscle mass gain in older women has not been investigated. AIMS: This study had the objective of identifying responders (RP) and non-responders (N-RP) older women for skeletal muscle mass (SMM) gain from a 12-week resistance training (RT) program. Additionally, we analyzed whether the N-RP could gain SMM with an increase in weekly training volume over 12 additional weeks of training. METHODS: Thirty-nine older women (aged ≥ 60 years) completed 24 weeks of a whole-body RT intervention (eight exercises, 2-3×/week, 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions). SMM was estimated by DXA, and the responsive cut-off value was set at two times the standard error of measurement. Participants were considered as RP if they exceeded the cut-off value after a 12-week RT phase, while the N-RP were those who failed to reach the SMM cut-off. RESULTS: Of the 22 participants considered to be N-RP, only 3 accumulated SMM gains (P = 0.250) that exceeded the cut-off point for responsiveness following 12 additional weeks of training, while 19 maintained or presented negative SMM changes. Of the 17 participants considered to be RP, all continued to gain SMM after the second 12-week RT phase. No significant correlation was observed between the changes in SMM and any baseline aspect of the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that some older women are RP, while others are N-RP to SMM gains resulting from RT. Furthermore, the non-responsiveness condition was not altered by an increase of training volume and intervention duration while RP participants continue to increase SMM; it appears that RP continue to be RP, and N-RP continue to be N-RP.

Depression is Associated with Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Differs by Activity Level, Gender and Gender Role.

PURPOSE: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and associated restrictive measures have implications for depressive symptoms (henceforth depression) of young people and risk may be associated with their reduced physical activity (PA) level. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between depressive symptoms and PA among college students with different gender and gender role (masculinity traits and femininity traits) during the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study included 628 healthy college students from nineteen different locations. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scales (CES-D), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and the 50-item Chinese Sex-Role Inventory (CSRI-50) were used to measure depressive symptoms, PA continuous (weekly metabolic equivalent minutes, MET-minutes/week) and categorical indicators (activity level category) and gender role, respectively. The statistical analyses were used in partial correlation analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, moderation model tests, and linear regression model tests. RESULTS: Total of 34.72% participants had clinically relevant depression (16, CES-D scale). Total of 58.6% participants were classified as a "low" activity level for spending less time on PA. Depression significantly negatively correlated with MET-minutes/week in moderate-intensity PA but not vigorous and walking scores. Of note, the depression-PA association was only moderated by the "low" activity level group in terms of categorical scores across gender groups. Participants with higher masculinity traits were less likely to have depression among all participants. Moreover, more recovered cases and fewer deaths could also predict the lower depression risk in the "high" activity level group. CONCLUSION: Moderate-intensity PA is beneficial for reducing depression risk among college students at a low activity level. College students with fewer masculinity traits (regardless of gender) are highly vulnerable to depression during the outbreak of COVID-19. Effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic seems critical to alleviating the burden of mental disorders of the public including depression.

Influence of Resistance Training Exercise Order on Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Anabolic Hormones in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Tomeleri, CM, Ribeiro, AS, Nunes, JP, Schoenfeld, BJ, Souza, MF, Schiavoni, D, Junior, PS, Cavaglieri, CR, Cunha, PM, Venturini, D, Barbosa, DS, and Cyrino, ES. Influence of resistance training exercise order on muscle strength, hypertrophy, and anabolic hormones in older women: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 34(11): 3103-3109, 2020-The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of resistance training (RT) exercise order on muscle strength, hypertrophy, and anabolic hormones in older women. Forty-four older women were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: a nonexercise control group (CON, n = 15) and two RT groups that performed a 12-week RT program in a multijoint to single-joint order (MJ-SJ, n = 14), or in a single-joint to multijoint order (SJ-MJ, n = 15). The RT protocol (3×/week) encompassed 8 exercises, with 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions performed per exercise. One repetition maximum tests were used to evaluate muscle strength; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to estimate lean soft tissue. Both training groups showed significant and similar increases in muscle strength (MJ-SJ = 16.4%; SJ-MJ = 12.7%) and mass (MJ-SJ = 7.5%; SJ-MJ = 6.1%), whereas there were no significant changes in testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1. The results suggest that both approaches are similarly effective in eliciting morphofunctional improvements in older women.

Effects of Three Resistance Exercise Orders on Muscular Function and Body Composition in Older Women.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of three resistance exercise orders on muscular strength, body composition, and functional fitness in trained older women. Forty-five women (aged ≥60 years), after performing 12 weeks of a pre-conditioning resistance-training program were randomly assigned in one of the following groups that performed the exercises in the following orders: multi-joint to single-joint order (MJ-SJ, n=15), single-joint to multi-joint order (SJ-MJ, n=15), and alternating between upper and lower body order (ALT, n=15). Specific training intervention lasted 12 weeks (3x/week) and was composed of eight exercises performed in three sets of 15/10/5 repetitions, with increasing load through the sets. Muscular strength was estimated by one-repetition maximum tests; body composition was assessed by whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and functional fitness was analyzed with a sequence of four motor tests. All groups improved similarly in muscular strength (Cohen's effect size: MJ-SJ=0.45; SJ-MJ=0.48; ALT=0.45), skeletal muscle mass (MJ-SJ=0.08; SJ-MJ=0.07; ALT=0.09), and functional test performance (MJ-SJ=0.38; SJ-MJ=0.20; ALT=0.31), but no change was observed for body fat (P>0.05). The results suggest that 12 weeks of resistance training induce positive changes in muscle morphofunctionality, regardless of the exercise order employed in trained older women.

Total and regional bone mineral density are associated with cellular health in older men and women.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between crude bioimpedance variables with bone mineral density (BMD) in older adults. METHOD: One hundred eighty-four older men and women (≥ 60 years old) composed the sample. BMD (whole-body) was measured through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bioimpedance spectroscopy was used to estimate whole-body resistance and reactance as well as to calculate the phase angle (PhA) and fat-free mass (FFM). Age, gender, body mass, FFM, height, calcium intake, vitamin D intake, number of fractures, number of diseases, and number of medications were included as covariates in the regression analyses. RESULTS: BMD fractions were significantly (P < 0.01) associated with PhA (femur: r = 0.524; neck: r = 0.450; and forearm: r = 0.437). Independently of age, body mass, FFM, calcium intake, vitamin D, number of diseases, fratures and medications, PhA remains a significant explanator of the variability of total (ß = 0.22; P < 0.001), femur (ß = 0.10; P = 0.018), and neck BMD (ß = 0.07; P = 0.05) for men, and total (ß = 0.08; P = 0.002), femur (ß = 0.06; P = 0.005), neck (ß = 0.04; P = 0.03), and forearm BMD (ß = 0.05; P = 0.004) for women. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a higher PhA is associated with BMD in older men and women fractions regardless of relevant covariates highlighting the biological meaning of this simple and crude bioimpedance-based measure in the elderly population.