Rt. Hepple et al., RESISTANCE AND AEROBIC TRAINING IN OLDER MEN - EFFECTS ON VO2PEAK ANDTHE CAPILLARY SUPPLY TO SKELETAL-MUSCLE, Journal of applied physiology, 82(4), 1997, pp. 1305-1310
Both aerobic training (AT) and resistance training (RT) may increase a
erobic power (VO2peak) in the older population; however, the role of c
hanges in the capillary supply in this response has not been evaluated
. Twenty healthy men (age 65-74 yr) engaged in either 9 wk of lower bo
dy RT followed by 9 wk of AT on a cycle ergometer (RT-AT group) or 18
wk of AT on a cycle ergometer (AT-AT group). RT was performed three ti
mes per week and consisted of three sets of four exercises at 6-12 rep
etitions maximum. AT was performed three times per week for 30 min at
60-70% heart rate reserve. VO2peak was increased after both RT and AT
(P < 0.05). Biopsies (vastus lateralis) revealed that the number of ca
pillaries per fiber perimeter length was increased after both AT and R
T (P < 0.05), paralleling the changes in VO2peak, whereas capillary de
nsity was increased only after AT (P < 0.01). These results, and the f
inding of a significant correlation between the change in capillary su
pply and VO2peak (r = 0.52), suggest the possibility that similar mech
anisms may be involved in the increase of VO2peak after high-intensity
RT and AT in the older population.