Does Mental Effort Augment Physical Function Adaptations to Elastic Band Training in Older Women?
Disciplines
Sports Sciences
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The dramatic age-related decline in muscle power negatively affects physical function. Neuromuscular function, a critical determinant of power, declines with age but may be mitigated by mental effort (ME), imagined maximal muscle effort combined with exercise. Elastic band training (EBT) is a form of strength training that may be a good model to apply ME since practical strategies that target neural deficits are needed to enhance training adaptations in older adults. This study aimed to establish if maximal mental effort during elastic band training augments power and physical function adaptations in older women. Community-dwelling older women aged 65-79 yrs were randomly placed into an EBT group (n=11), an EBT+ME group (n=13), or a control group (n=10). Within the 6-week training program, training groups exercised three times weekly while the control group maintained their typical diet and physical activity routine. The EBT subjects performed moderate-intensity strength training consisting of multi- and single-joint exercises. EBT+ME subjects utilized the same training but were instructed to “imagine maximal muscle during each exercise.” Physical function indices included preferred walking speed (PWS), maximal walking speed (MWS), number of chair rises completed in 30 seconds, and the time taken for five chair rises. Peak power was obtained from the five chair rises. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate power and physical function changes. MWS (p < 0.001) and 30-sec chair rise (p = 0.004) were only improved in EBT+ME. All groups increased PWS and chair rise power, and no changes were found for five chair rise time (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that using maximal mental effort during practical, moderate-intensity exercise enhances some physical function adaptations in older women. More research is needed to determine if a heightened mental effort can consistently complement strength training to enhance adaptations in older populations.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Exercise Science and Sport Management
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Garrett Hester
Additional Faculty
Robert Buresh, Exercise Science and Sport Management, rburesh@kennesaw.edu
Tim Martin, Exercise Science and Sport Management, tmarti61@kennesaw.edu
Jacob Grazer, Exercise Science and Sport Management, jgrazera@kennesaw.edu
Does Mental Effort Augment Physical Function Adaptations to Elastic Band Training in Older Women?
The dramatic age-related decline in muscle power negatively affects physical function. Neuromuscular function, a critical determinant of power, declines with age but may be mitigated by mental effort (ME), imagined maximal muscle effort combined with exercise. Elastic band training (EBT) is a form of strength training that may be a good model to apply ME since practical strategies that target neural deficits are needed to enhance training adaptations in older adults. This study aimed to establish if maximal mental effort during elastic band training augments power and physical function adaptations in older women. Community-dwelling older women aged 65-79 yrs were randomly placed into an EBT group (n=11), an EBT+ME group (n=13), or a control group (n=10). Within the 6-week training program, training groups exercised three times weekly while the control group maintained their typical diet and physical activity routine. The EBT subjects performed moderate-intensity strength training consisting of multi- and single-joint exercises. EBT+ME subjects utilized the same training but were instructed to “imagine maximal muscle during each exercise.” Physical function indices included preferred walking speed (PWS), maximal walking speed (MWS), number of chair rises completed in 30 seconds, and the time taken for five chair rises. Peak power was obtained from the five chair rises. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate power and physical function changes. MWS (p < 0.001) and 30-sec chair rise (p = 0.004) were only improved in EBT+ME. All groups increased PWS and chair rise power, and no changes were found for five chair rise time (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that using maximal mental effort during practical, moderate-intensity exercise enhances some physical function adaptations in older women. More research is needed to determine if a heightened mental effort can consistently complement strength training to enhance adaptations in older populations.
