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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Muscle strength and metabolism in master athletes
J Louis1, C Hausswirth, F Bieuzen
1University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Laboratory of Human Motricity, Education and Health, BP 3259 205 Nice, France.
Master athletes maintain exercise capacity despite age-related strength decline. Endurance-trained older adults show similar metabolic responses to younger athletes after resistance strength training.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Aging Research
- Sports Science
Background:
- Aging is associated with decreased muscle strength.
- Endurance-trained master athletes may retain physiological adaptations.
- Understanding the impact of aging on muscle function and metabolism is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare knee extensor muscle strength and metabolism between young and master endurance-trained athletes.
- To investigate the effects of resistance strength training (RST) on neuromuscular properties and oxygen uptake kinetics in both groups.
- To determine if master athletes maintain exercise performance despite reduced strength.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of young (26.2+/-2.4 yr) and master (62.5+/-4.1 yr) endurance-trained athletes.
- Maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC) and evoked contractions to assess neuromuscular properties.
- 10-min cycling test and oxygen uptake kinetics modeling to evaluate metabolism.
- Measurements taken before and immediately after a resistance strength training (RST) session.
Main Results:
- Master athletes exhibited lower knee extensor MVC values than young athletes prior to RST (257 vs. 354 N).
- No significant differences in oxygen uptake kinetics (VO2(sc), tau1) were observed between groups before RST.
- Both groups experienced similar fatigue effects on muscle properties and oxygen kinetics post-RST.
Conclusions:
- Master athletes possess maintained exercise intensity performance capabilities despite age-related strength loss.
- Aging does not significantly impair the metabolic response to exercise in endurance-trained individuals.
- Resistance strength training impacts muscle function and metabolism similarly across age groups in trained athletes.
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