CHRONIC
DISEASE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
RESISTANCE
TRAINING FOR HEALTH
Dusan
Hamar
Department
of Sports
Medicine, Institute of Sports Sciences, Comenius University,
Bratislava, Slovakia
Though aerobic activities have
become an integral part of preventive medicine, attitude of medical
community to the resistance exercise has been rather cautious. This
applies namely to its utilization in middle aged and elderly
population. The main concern was an augmented cardiovascular risk due
to pronounced blood pressure response to strength exercise. However,
evidence accumulated over the last decade has shown that blood pressure
reaches dangerously high values only under special cirumstancies. These
include resistance exercise performed with extreme weights, i.e. those
close to 1RM, lifted by large muscle groups under involvement of
Valsalva manoeuvre necessary to stabilize torso providing
a firm base for contracting muscles. On the other hand,
pressure response to resistance exercise performed with moderate
weights (up to 70 % of 1RM) and avoiding Valsalva manoeuvres, does not
differ substantially from the one occuring during common forms of
aerobic exercise. Slightly more pronounced increase of diastolic
pressure is considered as a positive response fostering coronary
perfusion taking place in diastolic phase of a heart cycle. There is
enough evidence that regular resistance training performed at even
moderate intensities, i.e. with weight around 70 of % 1RM not
only increases strength and power, but also positively affects lean
body mass, resting metabolic rate, bone mineral density, insuline
resistance and proprioceptive functions. These adaptation changes can
be of preventive as well as therapeutic value in diabetes mellitus,
obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthrosis, and osteoporosis. One
can conclude that there is enough evidence to consider resistance
exercise as safe and effective means, which can potentiate health
promoting effect of aerobic activities even in middle aged and elderly
population.
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