Aerobic training alone or combined with strength training affects fitness in elderly: Randomized trial

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate if combined strength and aerobic training can enhance aerobic capacity in the elderly to a similar extent as aerobic training alone when training duration is matched. Methods: Elderly men and women (age 63.2?±?4.7) were randomized into two intervention groups: an aerobic group (AG, n?=?17) and a combined group (CG, n?=?16). Subjects trained 40?minutes three times a week for 12 weeks. Both groups trained 20 minutes at 65% of heart rate reserve on ergometer cycles followed by another 20 minutes on the ergometer cycles for AG and 20-minute strength training for the lower body for CG. The primary outcome was VO₂max. Secondary outcomes were maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in isometric knee extension, 1 repetition maximum in three leg exercises, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure and score on the Health Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36). Results: Both groups improved VO₂max (p?<?.01) and MVC (p?<?.001). VO₂max increased 17% confidence interval (CI) [7.4–26] in CG and 26% CI [14.1–38.2] in AG, with no significant difference between groups. MVC increased 22% CI [16.3–27.7] in CG and 9% CI [4.6–13.5] in AG with CG improving MVC more than AG (p?<?.01). CG's score on the general health dimension on the SF-36 health survey improved more than AG's score. Conclusion: Elderly can substitute a part of their aerobic training with strength training and still improve VO₂max to a clinically significant degree when strength training is performed with large muscle groups subsequently to the aerobic training. Combined training additionally improves strength and self-assessed general health more than aerobic training alone.     

Baby boomers’ development of resources and strategies to engage as later life university students

ABSTRACT

To determine the resources baby boomers use or develop to strategise successful engagement as later life university students, informal semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Australian baby boomers. The phenomenological data was analysed, themes identified and aligned with the volition phase stages of the adapted Health Action Process Approach model. Interviewees displayed varying levels of self-efficacy and coping strategies. Having a sense of purpose and involvement in the social environment of a university appears to create positive functioning that can contribute to healthy ageing and well-being. The findings from this study could assist university administrators and policy makers to develop strategies to attract and support this niche sector of university students.     

The meaning of learning piano keyboard in the lives of older Chinese people

Across the globe populations are ageing and living longer. Older people seek meaningful ways of occupying and enjoying their later years. Frequently, this takes the form of learning a new skill, in this case playing the piano keyboard. From the initial act of commitment to learning comes a raft of related aspects that influence the learner, their family and their community. This qualitative study investigates the keyboard learning experiences of 16 Chinese older amateur keyboard learners who actively participate in group keyboard lessons at Tangshan Older People University, China. This article uses a phenomenological qualitative research approach to explore the meaning of playing keyboard in their later life. This research utilized a case study design. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The data show how keyboard learning contributes to older adult by providing ways for maintaining emotional well-being, physical well-being, experiencing lifelong learning and realizing their achievement through performance.     

山药多糖抗衰老作用的实验研究

目的:探讨山药多糖的抗衰老作用。方法:将小鼠随机分成对照组、模型组、高剂量用药组、中剂量用药组和低剂量用药组等五个不同的实验组,小鼠每天注射D-半乳糖(1.2mg/30g体重)建立衰老模型,用药组分别用不同浓度的山药多糖灌胃,40天后测定小鼠血清中SOD活性,MDA含量及耐氧能力。结果:山药多糠能提高2月龄雄性小鼠血清超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性,降低小鼠血清丙二醛(MDA)的含量,提高小鼠的耐氧能力。结论:山药多糠具有抗氧化、抗哀老作用。     

文献老化B-K方程分析

本文认为文献老化B—K方程具有参数少、精度高的特点,分析了文献[2]的“改进”能有效提高B－K方程的精度。分析了B－K方程中反映了“档案性”文献的变化,反映了“有现实作用”文献的变化。     

高填充碳酸钙/聚乙烯复合材料的老化试验研究

采用锥形同向双螺杆挤出机制备了高填充量的碳酸钙/聚乙烯复合材料(碳酸钙质量分数为50%～75%),并系统研究了复合材料在氙灯下的老化行为。SEM形貌分析表明,在氙灯加速老化过程中,复合材料的多孔结构有助于裂纹的产生及聚乙烯链段间次价键力的削弱。GPC测试表明,老化后聚乙烯的重均分子量损失率达到80%以上,XPS研究证实老化后含氧基团含量增加。     

湖南人口老龄化问题研究

从湖南人口老龄化现状出发,归纳总结湖南省人口老龄化的特征,并根据湖南省1990年-2006年人口统计数据对湖南人口发展趋势,尤其是老年人口发展趋势进行了预测,在此基础上,提出相应的政策建议,为湖南国民经济和社会发展"十二五"规划提供决策依据和参考.     

开展老年教育 建立终身教育体制

实现健康老龄化是人类解决人口老龄化的出路所在，通过开办老年大学，开展社区老人文体活动，为老年人创造学习的环境与机会，使老年人能够跟上市场经济的需要，为家庭致富、生活幸福和社会进步贡献力量具有非常重要的意义。开展老年教育，在不同时期有不同的课题，美国、日本的做法可资借鉴。     

Ageing transmigrants and the decolonisation of life course

ABSTRACT

This paper examines how ageing transmigrants engage in practises that serve to decolonise life course in order to create increased opportunities to live well. It analyses the experiences of Jamaican Canadian older adults (age 60 and older) who decided to remain in Canada, return to Jamaica, or travel between countries after retirement. As transmigrants with racialised minority and diasporic backgrounds, they grapple with questions of financial, socio-cultural, and emotional well-being that become more complicated and multi-layered in later life. This qualitative study utilises multi-sited ethnography to collect data in Canada and Jamaica. It also engages with the work of cultural critic Sylvia Wynter whose conceptions of decolonisation and humanism serve to reveal more diversified life course and ageing experiences. As postcolonial nation-states, Canada and Jamaica become ambivalent and vexed sites of home, belonging, security, and movement. Through decolonisation, transmigrants learn and unlearn how to navigate these spaces in ways that illuminate the ongoing struggles and pleasures of the quotidian within the broader contexts of transnational social fields.     

Effects of resistance training on expression of IGF-I splice variants in younger and older men

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its splice variants Insulin-like growth factor-I isoform Ea (IGF-IEa) and mechano growth factor (MGF) may play an important role in muscular adaptations to resistance training (RT) that may be modulated by ageing. It has been suggested that IGF-I induces cellular responses via AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog (Akt) and Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) signalling pathways. Therefore, resistance exercise-induced changes in skeletal muscle IGF-IEa and MGF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), and MGF, Erk1/2, Akt and p70S6K protein expression were investigated before and after 21 weeks of RT in younger (YM, 20–34 yrs., n?=?7) and older men (OM, 51–71 yrs., n?=?10). Experimental resistance exercises (RE) of 5?×?10 repetition maximum leg presses were performed pre- and post-RT. Muscle biopsies were obtained before and 48?h after REs, to study the late response to muscle loading. The muscle proteins or mRNAs of interest were not systematically influenced by the REs or RT, except for MGF mRNA expression which was increased (p?ageing appears not to effect expression of the present signalling molecules involved in skeletal muscle hypertrophy.