Agility Training to Integratively Promote Neuromuscular, Cognitive, Cardiovascular and Psychosocial Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Study Protocol of a One-Year Randomized-Controlled Trial

Mareike Morat, Oliver Faude, Henner Hanssen, Sebastian Ludyga, Jonas Zacher, Angi Eibl, Kirsten Albracht and Lars Donath
Additional contact information
Mareike Morat: Department of Intervention Research in Exercise Training, Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Oliver Faude: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
Henner Hanssen: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
Sebastian Ludyga: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
Jonas Zacher: Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Angi Eibl: Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Kirsten Albracht: Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Lars Donath: Department of Intervention Research in Exercise Training, Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Exercise training effectively mitigates aging-induced health and fitness impairments. Traditional training recommendations for the elderly focus separately on relevant physiological fitness domains, such as balance, flexibility, strength and endurance. Thus, a more holistic and functional training framework is needed. The proposed agility training concept integratively tackles spatial orientation, stop and go, balance and strength. The presented protocol aims at introducing a two-armed, one-year randomized controlled trial, evaluating the effects of this concept on neuromuscular, cardiovascular, cognitive and psychosocial health outcomes in healthy older adults. Eighty-five participants were enrolled in this ongoing trial. Seventy-nine participants completed baseline testing and were block-randomized to the agility training group or the inactive control group. All participants undergo pre- and post-testing with interim assessment after six months. The intervention group currently receives supervised, group-based agility training twice a week over one year, with progressively demanding perceptual, cognitive and physical exercises. Knee extension strength, reactive balance, dual task gait speed and the Agility Challenge for the Elderly (ACE) serve as primary endpoints and neuromuscular, cognitive, cardiovascular, and psychosocial meassures serve as surrogate secondary outcomes. Our protocol promotes a comprehensive exercise training concept for older adults, that might facilitate stakeholders in health and exercise to stimulate relevant health outcomes without relying on excessively time-consuming physical activity recommendations.

Keywords: agility; prevention; health-related physical activity; healthy aging; community dwelling; multimodal exercise training; neuromuscular; cardiovascular; cognitive; psychosocial (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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