Cardiovascular tolerance of healthy elderly subjects to weight-lifting exercises.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the hemodynamic strain and the myocardial tolerance of weight-lifting exercises in healthy elderly subjects.


METHODS
Sixty-five healthy elderly subjects (32 men/33 women) aged 65-80, were studied. Weight-lifting exercises consisted of two sets of 12 repetitions at 12-repetition maximum (RM) and four sets of five repetitions at 5-RM for, horizontal leg press, seated chest press, and bilateral leg extension movements. Cardiovascular tolerance to weight-lifting exercises was evaluated both physiologically and biologically by measuring heart rate (HR) and blood pressures continuously during exercise, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) blood concentration before and 6 h postexercise. Comparisons between resting and exercise or postexercise values were performed by a bilateral-paired t-test. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
No significant increase in cTnI circulating concentration was observed secondary to exercise (16.56+/-2.23 vs 14.40+/-1.96 ng x L(-1); mean +/- SEM). This was observed despite a significant (P < 0.001) exercise-induced increase in systolic (SAP) and diastolic arterial pressures (DAP) and HR. Highest values of SAP, DAP, and HR (223.6+/-3.1 mm Hg, 139.6+/-1.9 mm Hg, and 108+/-2 min(-1), respectively) were measured during the horizontal leg press exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that weight-lifting exercises can be conducted in healthy elderly subjects without clinical, electrical, and biological sign of myocardial ischemia, if appropriate selection criteria, and proper respiratory techniques during exercise are applied.
Bermon
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Department of Physiology, Nice Medical School, University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France. bermon@unice.fr
Rama
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Dolisi
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D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood; D014891:Weight Lifting
D019210:Troponin I