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Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Exercise training improves sleep pattern and metabolic profile in elderly people in a time-dependent manner
Fábio S Lira1, Gustavo D Pimentel, Ronaldo Vt Santos
1Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brasil.
Lipids in Health and Disease
|July 8, 2011
Summary
Moderate exercise training improved sleep quality in older adults. However, metabolic improvements were temporary, suggesting a need for modified training strategies to sustain benefits for sedentary individuals.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Exercise Physiology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Aging and physical inactivity are linked to cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and sleep disorders.
- Moderate exercise offers a non-pharmacological approach to managing sleep and metabolic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of moderate exercise training on sleep quality and metabolic profile in sedentary elderly individuals.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen healthy, sedentary elderly males participated in 24 weeks of moderate exercise (60 min/day, 3 days/week).
- Aerobic capacity, serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), insulin, HOMA index, adiponectin, and sleep parameters were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.
Main Results:
- Exercise training increased aerobic capacity (VO2max) and improved metabolic markers (reduced NEFA and insulin, improved HOMA, increased adiponectin) after 3 months.
- Sleep quality improved, with decreased awake time and REM sleep latency observed after 6 months.
- Metabolic adaptations were not sustained beyond 3 months.
Conclusions:
- Moderate exercise training enhances sleep quality in older adults.
- Sustained metabolic benefits require modifications to exercise training strategies for this population.
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