Article

Frailty has emerged as an important risk factor for disability. Age-related
declines in physical and physiological function lead to increased risk of loss of
independence and poor quality of life. Recent evidence has shown the
effectiveness of physical exercise programmes in preventing or reversing frailty.
The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the functioning of frail elderly
individuals after undergoing resistance training for 3 days a week for 8 weeks.
The effectiveness of exercise training was investigated in 48 frail elderly
individuals who were randomly assigned to the following intervention groups:
high-intensity (HI; n=16; age: 69-96 years) or low-intensity (LI; n=16; age:
77-93 years) strength training groups or a control group (n=16; age: 76-93 years)
with no specific exercise programme. Participants were assessed for muscle
strength, physical function, activities of daily living, depression and quality
of life. The HI group had significantly better results (P<0.05) on the Short
Physical Performance Test than the LI group; however, the LI group did show a
significant improvement in those scores, whereas the scores of the control group
worsened. Results for the other evaluations were similarly favourable in both
exercise groups (P>0.05). The study showed that LI exercise was as effective as
HI exercise for most parameters tested. Exercise training is useful for the
prevention or treatment of frailty, as it improves functioning by contributing
positively to muscle strength, gait, balance and quality of life.

Langue : ANGLAIS