NCT01899586

Mechanisms and Functional Outcomes of Exercise Progression Models in the Elderly

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 108 (actual)
• Sponsor: Duke University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to devise a sufficiently high intensity training program that provided an optimal stimulus to remove the peripheral factors known to reduce functional capacity, and can be cardiovascular and orthopedically well tolerated by the elderly. Findings from study laboratories have suggested that a regional specific training stimulus (RSTS) results in rapid improvements in both vascular and muscular function. RSTS is a novel combination of resistance training and aerobic training applied simultaneously, and in a serial manner, to specific regions of the body. It involves high-intensity and frequency muscle contractions, generating a targeted exercise stimulus, without producing excessive cardiovascular or orthopedic stress. The hypothesis is that initiating training with RSTS at multiple, strategically selected peripheral sites, in a serial manner will elicit local vascular and muscular changes, thereby preparing individuals at elevated risk of losing independence, to respond and progress more favorably to whole-body exercise.

Conditions

• Elderly
• Sedentary

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Regional Specific Training Stimulus (RSTS)	The RSTS protocol was designed to focus on specific peripheral muscle groups without imposing a significant cardiorespiratory strain. Each exercise involved contractions with moderate load but with an extended duration of up to six minutes. Eight specific exercises were performed to target all major muscle groups and enable the routine to be completed within 60 minutes including warm-up, rest periods and stretching between exercises, and cool down exercises.
OTHER	Aerobic Exercise Regimen (AE)	Whole-body aerobic exercise at \>50% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for 45 minutes, three days per week.

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-09-01
• Primary completion: 2011-11-01
• Completion: 2011-11-01
• First posted: 2013-07-15
• Last updated: 2014-03-04

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States