Department of Sport Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Department of Radiology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Exp Gerontol. 2017 Oct 15;97:22-28. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2017.07.007. Epub 2017 Jul 14.
Various positive effects of exercise on older women have been identified in many studies. Despite the importance of preserving the health of brain as well as body, few studies have investigated the effects of strength exercise on the brain health of older women to date. This study aimed to identify the effects of 24weeks of the Growing Stronger program on hippocampus volume and functional fitness of older women.
Twenty one older women aged 67 to 81 participated in this study. Growing Stronger, which is a strength exercise program that is safe and effective for women and men of all ages, was conducted. The 11 strength exercise group (n=11) participated for 50-80min a day three times per week for a total of 24weeks. The control group maintained their lifestyles without any special intervention. Participants were given a pre-test (before applying for the program) and post-test (after 24weeks) to identify effects of the program. The data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA.
Hippocampus volume was significantly increased in the strength exercise group, but decreased in the control group. Moreover, there was an interaction effect (p<0.001) between time and group. Strength exercise has improved upper and lower body strength, lower body flexibility, agility, and dynamic balance. Upper body flexibility significantly decreased in the strength exercise group, but there was no interaction between the strength exercise group and the control group.
The results of this study suggest that strength exercise has beneficial effects on hippocampus volume and functional fitness. Therefore, strength exercise can be an effective exercise for older women.
许多研究已经确定了运动对老年女性的各种积极影响。尽管保持大脑和身体的健康都很重要，但迄今为止，很少有研究调查力量训练对老年女性大脑健康的影响。本研究旨在确定 24 周“更强壮成长”计划对老年女性海马体体积和功能性体能的影响。
21 名年龄在 67 至 81 岁的老年女性参与了这项研究。“更强壮成长”计划是一项针对所有年龄段女性和男性安全有效的力量训练计划。该 11 名力量训练组（n=11）每天进行 50-80 分钟，每周三次，共 24 周。对照组保持他们的生活方式，没有任何特殊干预。参与者在进行前测（参加计划前）和后测（24 周后），以确定该计划的效果。数据采用重复测量方差分析进行分析。
力量训练组的海马体体积显著增加，而对照组则减少。此外，时间和组之间存在交互效应（p<0.001）。力量训练提高了上肢和下肢力量、下肢柔韧性、敏捷性和动态平衡。力量训练组的上肢灵活性显著下降，但力量训练组和对照组之间没有交互作用。
这项研究的结果表明，力量训练对海马体体积和功能性体能有有益的影响。因此，力量训练可以成为老年女性的一种有效运动。
