title: Comparison of once-weekly and twice-weekly strength training in older adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Strength training has been shown to benefit the health and function of older adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether one set of exercises performed once a week was as effective in increasing muscle strength as training twice a week.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 subjects (7 women and 11 men) aged 65-79 years were randomly assigned to two groups. Both groups performed one set of exercises to muscular fatigue; group 1 trained 1 day/week and group 2 trained 2 days/week on three lower and three upper body exercises for 9 weeks. The data were analysed using a mixed model 2 x 2 analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant main effect of time (p<0.001), but not group, on one-repetition maximum scores was observed. No significant interaction was observed between time and group and therefore no difference in strength changes between training once a week versus twice a week after 9 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One set of exercises performed once weekly to muscle fatigue improved strength as well as twice a week in the older adult. Our results provide information that will assist in designing strength-training programmes that are more time and cost efficient in producing health and fitness benefits for older adults.
authors.affiliation: Academic Health Care Center of The New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DiFrancisco-Donoghue
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Douris
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors