NEWS in SCIENCE
The effects of strength training on cognitive performance in elderly women.
By J.N.
Who wants to grow old? The answer would be no one. As our body ages, we tend to find normal task harder to do. Doing chores around the house becomes hard. Trying to write based on memory is a no go. And even keeping a solid state of mind becomes a task. All of these issues could be solved with strength training. This is simply a form of exercise that uses resistance against the body to build muscle. Studies have shown that older people who strength train are better off than those who do not. This goes for doing daily task as well as mental functions. But how do you prove this?
In Brazil, scientist used a random group of elderly women between the ages of 60 to 70. None of the women had took part in strength training before. The subjects were split into two groups. One group followed a twelve-week training program and diet. The program focused on the five major muscle groups as well as cardio. An example would be using the press machine for triceps, and horizontal leg press for the lower body. The other group, which was the control, was told to not change their daily routine. This includes their diet as well as the amount of time they exercised. The subjects were then put through a fitness trial at the end of the twelve weeks. This trial was used to record each subject’s physical fitness. The subjects were also given a proctored questionnaire to measure their cognitive functions.
The study showed that those who strength trained showed better results. Those women showed better marks in all areas of the physical fitness trial. They also proved to have better memory and ability in cognitive function. This, however would not be the case with just women. Strength training can help the overall ability of men as well. The program is recommended to any elders, as it has shown that it can help with many age related setbacks.
Smolarek, A. de C., Ferreira, L. H. B., Mascarenhas, L. P. G., McAnulty, S. R., Varela, K. D., Dangui, M.C., … Souza-Junior, T. P. (2016). The effects of strength training on cognitive performance in elderly women. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 11, 749–754. http://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S102126 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4896469/
Please send any questions or comments to Dr. Spitzer (spitzern@marshall.edu )
Note: Any opinions expressed in these articles are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Dr. Spitzer, the Department of Biological Sciences, or Marshall University.