Abstract
Background: One the important issue in aging is sarcopenia that characterized by muscle mass and function reduction. so, present study designed to investigated the effect of High Intensity Interval Resistance Training (HIIRT) on hormonal changes and functional fitness in sarcopenic elderly women.
Methods: A total of 30 sarcopenic women aged 60 to 70 years (Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass Index<6.76 kg/m2, hand grip<20 kg) were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Experimental group (EX) participated in the training protocol that implemented in 2 phases, the first phase (2 weeks/3 times per week/50-55% 1RM) and the second phase (6 weeks/3 times per week/60- 85% 1RM). The control group (C) did not participate in any training program during this period and performed their normal daily activities. follstatin (Fstn), Growth Hormone (GH) and Cortisol (Cort), walking speed, hand grip strength and knee Extention 1RM evaluated in two stages: pre-test (week 0) and post-test (end of week 8) and compared between groups. Independent t-test and Within groups one- Way ANOVA was subsequently utilized to assess the research variables through SPSS software version 23 at 0.05 level of significance.
Results: The results showed that serum levels of Fstn and GH increased significantly in the EX group compared to the C group. While Cort significantly decreased. Also walking speed, hand grip strength and knee Extention 1RM increased significantly in the EX group compared to the C group
Conclusion: It is seems that HIIRT protocol resulted in improvement in hormones and functional fitness in sarcopenic elderly women. Based on our results, This type of training is safe and risk-free for the elderly and prevents the progressive reduction of muscle mass and strength. However Determining the exact mechanisms involved in these changes in response to HIIRT requires further molecular-cellular studies.