Effect of a lower limb strength training programme on physical activity during the snowy season among community-dwelling elderly individuals

EFFECT OF WEIGHT TRAINING ON LOWER LIMB STRENGTH IN SOCCER PLAYERS

ABSTRACT Introduction: There are many methods for lower limb explosive strength training in soccer athletes, and the most common is strength gain training by load increase. There is still no consensus on whether this type of training can influence jumping performance in soccer athletes. Objective: To explore the influence of muscle gain by added weight on jumping performance and lower limb muscle strength in soccer athletes. Methods: 60 participants were equally divided between high, low, and control training groups. The load was implemented with a weight vest for eight weeks. The training frequency was 40 to 60 minutes three times a week, and the training protocols and schedules of the two groups were the same, while the control group was not involved in any sports training. Results: The isokinetic muscle strength test of the left knee extensor before and after eight weeks of training showed no significant interaction between maximum torque and time to reach maximum torque at 60°/s and 180°/s (P > 0.05). After the jump test, a significant difference appears in the main effects on time factors between group A and group B. Conclusion: Strength training by load addition is an effective training method to improve the sport’s ability in the lower limbs of soccer athletes. Evidence Level II; Therapeutic Studies - Investigating the result.

Potential causal effect of physical activity on reducing the risk of dementia: a 6-year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

Background

The causal effect of physical activity on reducing dementia risk has been questioned due to the possibility of reverse causation. This study examined the potential causal effects of physical activity on reducing dementia risk using residency in a snowy area as an instrumental variable (IV) representing the physical activity of older adults.

Methods

We used cohort data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a longitudinal cohort enrolling people aged 65 or older who were physically and cognitively independent in 2013; study participants were followed for an average of 5.7 years. Participants in the present study included 73,260 individuals living in 19 municipalities in Japan. Physical activity was measured by self-report questionnaires and the incidence of dementia was ascertained by linking participants to the public registries of long-term care insurance. IV estimation was obtained from a piecewise Cox proportional hazard model using a two-stage regression procedure.

Results

During the study period, we ascertained 8714 cases (11.9%) of dementia onset. In the IV analysis, we found that the frequency of physical activity per week was negatively associated with dementia risk, though the association weakened over time (Year 1: hazard ratio = 0.53, 95% confidence interval: 0.39–0.74; Year 4: 0.69, 0.53–0.90; Year 6: 0.85, 0.66–1.10).

Conclusions

Our IV analysis indicated a potential causal effect of physical activity on reducing dementia risk that persisted for at least 4 years of follow-up. Thus, we conclude that physical activity should be recommended for older adults to reduce dementia risk.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-021-01212-w.

Impact of Habitual Exercise on Locomotive Function of Middle-aged and Elderly Volunteers: A Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVES

This longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the effect of acquisition of an exercise habit on locomotive dysfunction (LD).

METHODS

The subjects were 121 male and 196 female volunteers aged more than 50 years who attended health checkups in Toei, central Japan, in 2012 and 2014. We divided the subjects into three groups: an acquiring exercise group (Ac-Ex) composed of those who acquired an exercise habit between 2012 and 2014, a non-exercise group (Non-Ex) who did not acquire an exercise habit, and an exercise group (Ex) who already had an exercise habit in 2012. We compared the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25) score among the three groups.

RESULTS

In men in the Ac-Ex group, the GLFS-25 score improved significantly between 2012 and 2014 (P=0.046), and sub-analysis of the GLFS-25 responses showed that fundamental and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) improved significantly. In women in the Ac-Ex group, the prevalence of radiologically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis was significantly higher (P=0.027) than that for the other two groups, and there was no significant improvement in GLFS-25 score over the 2-year period.

CONCLUSIONS

The acquisition of an exercise habit had a positive effect on the locomotive function in men. Orthopedic surgeons must enlighten people on the need for a continuous exercise habit.