Efectos de programas de entrenamiento de fuerza isopotenciales, diferenciados según la velocidad de ejecución y la intensidad de la carga sobre la condición física relacionada con la salud de personas mayores

Abstract

The improvement of living conditions and the lower birth rate implies the increase of problems associated with the ageing process. The different exercise programs, in special those that aimed to improve the muscle power, have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving the functional capacity and in the prevention of disability in older adults. Power, results from the product of force and velocity, and based on the inverse relationship between the applied force and the rate of contraction a parabolic relationship between power and velocity is observed. When an optimal load is mobilized, a vertex in the parabola is identified, which is called the peak power, and this is related with an optimal speed and in turn with an optimal force. This parabolic profile means that there are equated power points with paired power levels that can be recorded with different loads at different velocities and with different force levels. There is no consensus on changes in functionality and muscle performance in older adults when training with loads associated with powers relative to the vertex of the power-speed parabola. That is, if training with equated power levels with different components of force and velocity affect functionality and muscle performance in a differentiated manner. This doctoral thesis aimed to contrast the effects of two different power training protocols performed with the maximum intended velocity with different loads but equated regarding the relative power on functionally, muscle performance and body composition of a sample of active older adults. After the study, the results showed that when the power levels are equated, the load does not produce differentiated effects in the improvement of muscle strength, muscle power, and dynamic balance (TUG); however, when high loads are employed, muscle power training is presented as a valid option to increase cardiovascular endurance. The data observed after our intervention indicated that muscle power training programs with prescribed loads close to the peak power are effective when added to non-supervised multi-component exercise to improve functional capacity and muscle performance of physically active healthy older adults.