High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians. Effects on skeletal muscle.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled before-and-after interventional study (case series).
What was done
Ten frail, institutionalized volunteers aged 90 +/- 1 years (up to 96 years old) enrolled in an 8-week high-intensity resistance training program to evaluate the reversibility of muscle weakness and mobility impairment in the very old.
What was found
Quadriceps strength initially correlated negatively with walking time (r = -.745) and positively with fat-free mass (r = .732) and regional muscle mass (r = .752). In the 9 subjects who completed training, strength gains averaged 174% +/- 31% (mean +/- SEM). Midthigh muscle area increased 9.0% +/- 4.5%, and mean tandem gait speed improved 48%.
Why it matters
This study shows that extreme muscle weakness and atrophy in nonagenarians remain responsive to high-resistance training, indicating skeletal muscle plasticity is preserved in very old age.
Limits
The study is limited by an extremely small sample size (n = 10 enrolled, 9 completed) and the lack of a non-exercise control group. It was conducted in institutionalized frail individuals, which may restrict generalizability. Clinical endpoints such as falls, fracture rates, and long-term retention of gains were not measured.
Cited by
- supports Scientific evidence demonstrates that individuals in their 80s and 90s can build muscle mass from resistance training.