title: Physiological effects of concurrent training in elderly men.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of concurrent strength and endurance training on neuromuscular and hormonal parameters in elderly men. 23 healthy men (65±4 years) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: concurrent (CG, n=8), strength (SG, n=8) or endurance group (EG, n=7). The programs consisted, of strength training, endurance training on a cycle ergometer or a combination of both in the same session 3 times per week over a duration of 12 weeks. Subjects were evaluated on parameters related to muscle strength, muscle activation and serum hormones. There were significant increases in lower-body strength in all groups (P<0.05), with higher increases in SG (67%) than CG (41%) and both were higher than EG (25%) (p<0.01). Only SG and CG increased upper-body strength (p<0.01), with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Furthermore, there were significant decreases in free testosterone in EG after training. Significant increases in isometric strength and maximal muscle activation (p<0.05) as well as decreases in the submaximal muscle activation to the same load, were only seen in SG (p<0.05). The present results suggest that the interference effect observed due to concurrent strength and endurance training could be related to impairment of neural adaptations.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Physical Education School, Porto Alegre, Brazil. edcadore@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Cadore
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: F L R
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lhullier
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Alberton
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: A P V
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tartaruga
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: L F M
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Kruel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D016552:Ergometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone