The effects of same-session combined exercise training on cardiorespiratory and functional fitness in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Aging clinical and experimental research Vol. 31; no. 12; pp. 1701 - 1717
• Main Authors: Hurst, Christopher, Weston, Kathryn L., McLaren, Shaun J., Weston, Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-12-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cardiorespiratory Fitness - physiology; Case-Control Studies; Endurance Training - methods; Exercise - physiology; Female; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meta-analysis; Middle Aged; Older people; Physical fitness; Resistance Training - methods; Review; Sports training; Strength training; Systematic review; Walk Test - methods; Physical fitness; Endurance training; Strength training; Ageing; Combined training
• ISSN: 1720-8319; 1594-0667; 1720-8319
• DOI: 10.1007/s40520-019-01124-7

Endurance and strength training are effective strategies for counteracting age-associated reductions in physical performance in older adults, with a combination of both exercise modes recommended to maximise potential fitness benefits. This meta-analysis sought to quantify the effects of same-session combined endurance and strength training on fitness in adults aged over 50 years. Five electronic databases were searched with studies required to include one of the following outcome measures:
V
O
2peak
, 6-min walk test (6MWT), 8-ft timed up-and-go (TUG), and 30-s chair stand. Separate random-effects meta-analyses compared combined training with (1) no-exercise control, (2) endurance training, and (3) strength training with probabilistic magnitude-based inferences subsequently applied. Twenty-seven studies involving 1346 subjects with a mean age of 68.8 years (range 54–85 years) were included in the analysis. The meta-analysed effect on
V
O
2peak
was a moderately beneficial effect for the combined training compared to no-exercise controls (3.6 mL kg
−1
 min
−1
; ± 95% confidence limits 0.8 mL kg
−1
 min
−1
) with additional increases for studies with greater proportions of female participants and shorter training interventions. Combined training also had small-to-moderately beneficial effects on
V
O
2peak
when compared to endurance training (0.8 mL kg
−1
 min
−1
; ± 1.0 mL kg
−1
 min
−1
), 30-s chair stand when compared with strength training (1.1 repetitions; ± 0.5 repetitions) and on TUG (0.8 s; ± 0.7 s), 30-s chair stand (2.8 repetitions; ± 1.7 repetitions), and 6MWT (31.5 m; ± 22.4 m) when compared to no-exercise controls. All other comparisons were unclear. Same-session combined training can induce clinically relevant fitness improvements in older adults.