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Responsiveness to muscle mass gain following 12 and 24 weeks of resistance training in older women

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Abstract

Background

Many factors may influence the magnitude of individual responses to resistance training (RT). How the manipulation of training volume and frequency affects responsiveness level for muscle mass gain in older women has not been investigated.

Aims

This study had the objective of identifying responders (RP) and non-responders (N-RP) older women for skeletal muscle mass (SMM) gain from a 12-week resistance training (RT) program. Additionally, we analyzed whether the N-RP could gain SMM with an increase in weekly training volume over 12 additional weeks of training.

Methods

Thirty-nine older women (aged ≥ 60 years) completed 24 weeks of a whole-body RT intervention (eight exercises, 2–3×/week, 1–2 sets of 10–15 repetitions). SMM was estimated by DXA, and the responsive cut-off value was set at two times the standard error of measurement. Participants were considered as RP if they exceeded the cut-off value after a 12-week RT phase, while the N-RP were those who failed to reach the SMM cut-off.

Results

Of the 22 participants considered to be N-RP, only 3 accumulated SMM gains (P = 0.250) that exceeded the cut-off point for responsiveness following 12 additional weeks of training, while 19 maintained or presented negative SMM changes. Of the 17 participants considered to be RP, all continued to gain SMM after the second 12-week RT phase. No significant correlation was observed between the changes in SMM and any baseline aspect of the participants.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that some older women are RP, while others are N-RP to SMM gains resulting from RT. Furthermore, the non-responsiveness condition was not altered by an increase of training volume and intervention duration while RP participants continue to increase SMM; it appears that RP continue to be RP, and N-RP continue to be N-RP.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express thanks to all the participants for their engagement in this study, the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES/Brazil) for the scholarship conferred to JPN, WK, GK (master degree), PMC and BDVC (doctoral), and the National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq/Brazil) for the grants conceded to ASR and ESC. This study was partially supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC/Brazil) and CNPq/Brazil.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolism, Nutrition, and Exercise Laboratory, Physical Education and Sport Center, Londrina State University, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    João Pedro Nunes, Fábio L. C. Pina, Alex S. Ribeiro, Paolo M. Cunha, Witalo Kassiano, Bruna D. V. Costa, Gabriel Kunevaliki, Matheus A. Nascimento, Nelson H. Carneiro & Edilson S. Cyrino

  2. Center for Research in Health Sciences, University of Northern Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    Fábio L. C. Pina & Alex S. Ribeiro

  3. Paraná State University, UNESPAR, Paranavaí, PR, Brazil

    Matheus A. Nascimento

  4. Clinical Analyses Laboratory, Londrina State University, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    Danielle Venturini & Décio S. Barbosa

  5. Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    Analiza M. Silva & Luís B. Sardinha

  6. Exercise Science Program, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, USA

    Jerry L. Mayhew

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  1. João Pedro Nunes
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  2. Fábio L. C. Pina
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  15. Edilson S. Cyrino
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Correspondence to João Pedro Nunes.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Our institutional ethics review board approved the study protocol, and it was in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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All enrolled patients provided their written, informed consent before participating in the study.

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Nunes, J.P., Pina, F.L.C., Ribeiro, A.S. et al. Responsiveness to muscle mass gain following 12 and 24 weeks of resistance training in older women. Aging Clin Exp Res 33, 1071–1078 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01587-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01587-z

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