WEIGHT TRAINING IMPROVES WALKING ENDURANCE IN HEALTHY ELDERLY PERSONS

Objective: To determine the effect of a resistance-training program on walking endurance in a healthy, community-dwelling elderly population . Design: 12-week randomized, controlled trial comparing a resistance- training group with a nonexercising control group. Setting: Hospital-a ffiliated outpatient exercise facility. Patients: 24 healthy men and w omen who were 65 years of age or older (mean age +/- SD, 70.4 +/- 4 ye ars; range, 65 to 79 years). Measurements: The primary outcome variabl e was exhaustive submaximal walking time measured at an intensity of 8 0% of baseline peak aerobic capacity. Results: Participants in the res istance-training program increased submaximal walking endurance by 9 m inutes (from 25 +/- 4 minutes to 34 +/- 9 minutes; P = 0.001), a 38% i ncrease, whereas no change was seen in controls (20 +/- 5 minutes to 1 9 +/- 10 minutes; P > 0.2; P = 0.005 between groups). The relation bet ween change in leg strength and change in walking endurance was signif icant (r = 0.48; P = 0.02). Neither group showed a change in peak aero bic capacity or in whole-body composition, although fat-free mass of t he leg increased in the exercise group. Conclusions: Resistance traini ng for 3 months improves both leg strength and walking endurance in he althy, community-dwelling elderly persons. This finding is relevant to older persons at risk for disability, because walking endurance and l eg strength are important components of physical functioning.