TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges in Conducting Exercise Recovery Studies in Older Adults and Considerations for Future Research
T2 - Findings from a Nutritional Intervention Study
AU - Hayes, Eleanor Jayne
AU - Hurst, Christopher
AU - Granic, Antoneta
AU - Sayer, Avan A.
AU - Stevenson, Emma
PY - 2024/9/10
Y1 - 2024/9/10
N2 - Maximising the potential benefit of resistance exercise (RE) programs by ensuring optimal recovery is an important aim of exercise prescription. Despite this, research surrounding recovery from RE in older adults is limited and inconsistent. The following randomised controlled trial was designed to investigate the efficacy of milk consumption for improving recovery from RE in older adults. However, the study encountered various challenges that may be applicable to similar studies. These include recruitment issues, a lack of measurable perturbations in muscle function following RE, and potential learning effects amongst participants. Various considerations for exercise research have arisen from the data which could inform the design of future studies in this area. These include (i) recruitment—consider ways in which the study design could be altered to aid recruitment or allow a longer recruitment period; (ii) learning effects and familiarisation—consider potential learning effects of outcome measures and adjust familiarisation accordingly; (iii) identify, validate and optimise protocols for outcome measures that are applicable for the specific population; (iv) adjust the exercise protocol according to the specific aims of the study (e.g., are you replicating a usual exercise bout or is the intent to cause large amounts of muscle damage?).
AB - Maximising the potential benefit of resistance exercise (RE) programs by ensuring optimal recovery is an important aim of exercise prescription. Despite this, research surrounding recovery from RE in older adults is limited and inconsistent. The following randomised controlled trial was designed to investigate the efficacy of milk consumption for improving recovery from RE in older adults. However, the study encountered various challenges that may be applicable to similar studies. These include recruitment issues, a lack of measurable perturbations in muscle function following RE, and potential learning effects amongst participants. Various considerations for exercise research have arisen from the data which could inform the design of future studies in this area. These include (i) recruitment—consider ways in which the study design could be altered to aid recruitment or allow a longer recruitment period; (ii) learning effects and familiarisation—consider potential learning effects of outcome measures and adjust familiarisation accordingly; (iii) identify, validate and optimise protocols for outcome measures that are applicable for the specific population; (iv) adjust the exercise protocol according to the specific aims of the study (e.g., are you replicating a usual exercise bout or is the intent to cause large amounts of muscle damage?).
KW - resistance exercise
KW - older adults
KW - exercise-induced muscle damage
KW - methodology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85207292123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/geriatrics9050116
DO - 10.3390/geriatrics9050116
M3 - Article
C2 - 39311241
SN - 2308-3417
VL - 9
JO - Geriatrics
JF - Geriatrics
IS - 5
M1 - 116
ER -