Continuous Compared to Accumulated Walking-Training on Physical Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Older Persons

Pablo Monteagudo, Ainoa Roldán, Ana Cordellat, Mari Carmen Gómez-Cabrera and Cristina Blasco-Lafarga
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Pablo Monteagudo: Sport Performance and Physical Fitness Research Group (UIRFIDE), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Ainoa Roldán: Sport Performance and Physical Fitness Research Group (UIRFIDE), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Ana Cordellat: Sport Performance and Physical Fitness Research Group (UIRFIDE), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Mari Carmen Gómez-Cabrera: Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, CIBERFES, Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico Universitario/INCLIVA, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Cristina Blasco-Lafarga: Sport Performance and Physical Fitness Research Group (UIRFIDE), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-15

Abstract: The present study aimed to analyze the impact of overground walking interval training (WIT) in a group of sedentary older adults, comparing two different dose-distributions. In this quasi-experimental and longitudinal study, we recruited twenty-three sedentary older adults (71.00 ± 4.10 years) who were assigned to two groups of WIT. The continuous group (CWIT) trained for 60 min/session in the morning, while the accumulated group (AWIT) performed the same duration and intensity of exercise, but it was distributed twice a day (30 min in the morning and 30 more in the afternoon). After 15 weeks of an equal external-load training (3 days/week), Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons revealed significant ( p < 0.050) and similar large improvements in both groups in cardiorespiratory fitness and lower limb strength; even larger gains in preferred walking speed and instrumental daily life activity, which was slightly superior for CWIT; and improvements in agility, which were moderate for CWIT and large for AWIT. However, none of the training protocols had an impact on the executive function in the individuals, and only the AWIT group improved health-related quality of life. Although both training protocols induced a general significant improvement in physical function in older adults, our results showed that the accumulative strategy should be recommended when health-related quality of life is the main target, and the continuous strategy should be recommended when weakness may be a threat in the short or medium term.

Keywords: physical activity; public health; aging; dose-response; cardiorespiratory fitness; agility test; executive function; strength; older adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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