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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Controlled endurance exercise training and VO2max changes in older adults: a meta-analysis
Guoyuan Huang1, Cheryl A Gibson, Zung V Tran
1University of Southern Indiana, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712, USA. ghuang@usi.edu
Abstract:
This meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials quantifies the effect of aerobic exercise on VO2max (aerobic fitness) among sedentary older adults and examines the associations of such magnitude with variables of intervention. Forty-one trials including 2102 older subjects (within-group mean age of 60 years and older) were identified by searches of databases, hand searching, and cross-referencing. Outcomes were homogeneous. The pooled standardized effect size by a fixed-effect model showed a higher moderate effect (mean +/- SEM) of 0.64+/-0.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.73; p<0.001, representing a net increase in VO2max (mean +/- SEM) of 3.78+/-0.28 mL.kg-1.min-1; 95% confidence interval, 3.24-4.33; or a 16.3% improvement, compared with control groups. Greater improvement in VO2max was associated with training length more than 20 weeks and training intensity of approximately 60% but less than 70% of VO2max. Endurance training improves aerobic fitness in older adults, thus providing protective benefits for cardiovascular aging and quality of later life.
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