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136 sedentary, abdominally obese older men and women were recruited at Queen's University and randomly assigned to 1 of the following 4 groups for 6 months: resistance exercise, aerobic exercise, resistance and aerobic exercise (combined exercise), or nonexercise control.
Aerobic exercise consisted of treadmill walking. Resistance exercise consisted of weight lifting or manipulation. The combined group did a share of both. The age group was in the 60 to 80 range, but the significance of the findings can be important to a younger population.
* The study population consisted of previously sedentary adults between the ages of 60 and 80 years. Men had a waist circumference of at least 102 cm, and women had a waist circumference of 88 cm or more.
* Individuals with a history of heart disease, stroke, or diabetes were excluded from study participation.
* Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of the following 4 groups: resistance exercise, aerobic exercise, a combination of resistance and aerobic exercise, or a control group. All participants received instructions on following a healthy diet, but they were instructed to continue their average baseline energy consumption.
* Resistance exercise consisted of 20-minute sessions of 9 exercises, performed on 3 days of the week. Aerobic exercise consisted of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking on a treadmill 5 times per week. Combined exercise consisted of a 30-minute walk and 1 set of 9 resistance exercises, for a total of 150 minutes of weekly exercise.
* The main outcomes of the study were anthropometric measurements and measurements of fat and muscle mass, insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, and functional limitation and cardiorespiratory fitness. Functional limitation was measured objectively with chair stands, seated arm curls, step testing, and up-and-go testing. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured on a treadmill, with use of spirometry.
* 136 individuals underwent randomization, and 117 completed the 6-month trial.
* Baseline data were similar between randomized groups. The mean age was 67.7 years, and the mean body mass index was 30.4 kg/m2. The mean waist circumference was 112.7 cm. Nearly all participants were white.
* Cardiorespiratory fitness improved in the aerobic exercise and combined exercise groups but not in the resistance exercise group.
* Insulin resistance improved in the aerobic exercise and combined exercise groups relative to the control group. However, resistance exercise was not effective in improving insulin resistance vs control treatment.
* Functional improvement improved in all 3 active treatment groups vs the control group. Combined exercise was superior to aerobic exercise alone in this outcome, but the aerobic and resistance exercise groups were similar in their improvement in functional improvement.
* Aerobic exercise and combined exercise were associated with reductions in total body fat vs resistance exercise and control treatment. Aerobic and combined exercise also produced superior outcomes in reductions in abdominal and visceral fat.
* Resistance and combined exercise improved skeletal muscle mass vs the aerobic exercise and control groups.
* Both skeletal muscle and total or abdominal fat were related to the degree of functional limitation.
(Medscape)
Conclusions:
Cardiorespiratory health is improved when cardiovascular exercise is included in your exercise program.
Weight lifting does not seem to alter insulin resistance and the possibility of developing diabetes.
Combined weights and aerobics lead to better overall function.
Aerobic exercise seems to be more helpful in losing body fat than just weight lifting alone.
Weight lifting seems to be necessary to increase muscle mass.
Aerobic exercise consisted of treadmill walking. Resistance exercise consisted of weight lifting or manipulation. The combined group did a share of both. The age group was in the 60 to 80 range, but the significance of the findings can be important to a younger population.
* The study population consisted of previously sedentary adults between the ages of 60 and 80 years. Men had a waist circumference of at least 102 cm, and women had a waist circumference of 88 cm or more.
* Individuals with a history of heart disease, stroke, or diabetes were excluded from study participation.
* Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of the following 4 groups: resistance exercise, aerobic exercise, a combination of resistance and aerobic exercise, or a control group. All participants received instructions on following a healthy diet, but they were instructed to continue their average baseline energy consumption.
* Resistance exercise consisted of 20-minute sessions of 9 exercises, performed on 3 days of the week. Aerobic exercise consisted of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking on a treadmill 5 times per week. Combined exercise consisted of a 30-minute walk and 1 set of 9 resistance exercises, for a total of 150 minutes of weekly exercise.
* The main outcomes of the study were anthropometric measurements and measurements of fat and muscle mass, insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, and functional limitation and cardiorespiratory fitness. Functional limitation was measured objectively with chair stands, seated arm curls, step testing, and up-and-go testing. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured on a treadmill, with use of spirometry.
* 136 individuals underwent randomization, and 117 completed the 6-month trial.
* Baseline data were similar between randomized groups. The mean age was 67.7 years, and the mean body mass index was 30.4 kg/m2. The mean waist circumference was 112.7 cm. Nearly all participants were white.
* Cardiorespiratory fitness improved in the aerobic exercise and combined exercise groups but not in the resistance exercise group.
* Insulin resistance improved in the aerobic exercise and combined exercise groups relative to the control group. However, resistance exercise was not effective in improving insulin resistance vs control treatment.
* Functional improvement improved in all 3 active treatment groups vs the control group. Combined exercise was superior to aerobic exercise alone in this outcome, but the aerobic and resistance exercise groups were similar in their improvement in functional improvement.
* Aerobic exercise and combined exercise were associated with reductions in total body fat vs resistance exercise and control treatment. Aerobic and combined exercise also produced superior outcomes in reductions in abdominal and visceral fat.
* Resistance and combined exercise improved skeletal muscle mass vs the aerobic exercise and control groups.
* Both skeletal muscle and total or abdominal fat were related to the degree of functional limitation.
(Medscape)
Conclusions:
Cardiorespiratory health is improved when cardiovascular exercise is included in your exercise program.
Weight lifting does not seem to alter insulin resistance and the possibility of developing diabetes.
Combined weights and aerobics lead to better overall function.
Aerobic exercise seems to be more helpful in losing body fat than just weight lifting alone.
Weight lifting seems to be necessary to increase muscle mass.
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