Plain language summary
Aging adversely impacts muscular structure and function, and sedentary subjects have an increased risk of developing lifestyle-related disease. Physical activity in aging subjects has repeatedly been shown to counteract these adverse effects, and in particular, the health benefits of recreational soccer have been investigated. The aim of this randomised trial was to examine the long-term effects of soccer training compared to resistance training on a range of musculo-skeletal structural and functional variables. Twenty-seven healthy elderly males aged 63-74 were randomly assigned to participate in either a soccer training group, a resistance training group or inactive control group for 52-weeks. Participants performed a one-hour training session twice per week for the first 16 weeks, and three times a week for the following 36 weeks. This study showed that 52 weeks of regular soccer training lead to decreases in BMI, improved skeletal muscle anti-oxidative potential, and favourably altered glucose control when compared with resistance training in elderly men.
Abstract
The effects of 52 weeks of soccer or resistance training were investigated in untrained elderly men. The subjects aged 68.1±2.1 yrs were randomised into a soccer (SG; n = 9), a resistance (RG; n = 9) and a control group (CG; n = 8). The subjects in SG and RG, respectively, trained 1.7±0.3 and 1.8±0.3 times weekly on average during the intervention period. Muscle function and body composition were determined before and after 16 and 52 weeks of the intervention period. In SG, BMI was reduced by 1.5% and 3.0% (p<0.05) after 16 and 52 weeks, respectively, unchanged in RG and 2% higher (p<0.05) in CG after 52 weeks of the intervention period. In SG, the response to a glucose tolerance test was 16% lower (p<0.05) after 16 wks, but not after 52 wks, compared to before the intervention period, and unchanged in RG and CG. In SG, superoxide dismutase-2 expression was 59% higher (p<0.05) after 52 wks compared to before the intervention period, and unchanged in RG and CG. In RG, upper body lean mass was 3 and 2% higher (p<0.05) after 16 and 52 wks, respectively, compared to before the intervention period, and unchanged in SG and CG. In RG, Akt-2 expression increased by 28% (p<0.01) and follistatin expression decreased by 38% (p<0.05) during the 52-wk intervention period, and was unchanged in SG and CG. Thus, long-term soccer training reduces BMI and improves anti-oxidative capacity, while long-term resistance training impacts muscle protein enzyme expression and increases lean body mass in elderly men. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01530035.
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