Regular exercise is demonstrated to improve many aspects of health in a dose-dependent fashion. Aerobic exercise and resistance exercise have overlapping but subtly different effects, and are often studied distinctly. Program of resistance exercise have been demonstrated to reduce mortality in older individuals, and more generally the view of “use it or lose it” is supported by the scientific literature. Exercise produces benefits, and a sedentary life is harmful to long-term health. Here, researchers demonstrate that the benefits of exercise in older individuals include improved peripheral nerve function.
The natural progression of age can result in motor neuron degeneration, reflected by fewer functioning motor neuron axons and/or degradation of the motor axons. These outcomes result in the slower transmission of a nerve impulse supplying a target effector muscle and can have functional consequences such as slower movements or reduced mobility. Additionally, older adults exhibit varying degrees of loss in strength and muscle mass as a result of these effects and may become more susceptible to the development of sarcopenia.
Resistance training has long been prescribed to older adults as a means to long-term vitality. Individuals who remain active throughout their life have been known to have improved mobility, more independence, and greater life expectancy. Although previous studies have investigated training and nerve conduction speed in adults, few studies have focused on interventions that mitigate nerve speed loss and possible adaptations training may have.
The purpose of this study was 1) to quantify the effects of resistance training on nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and 2) to determine if age affects nerve plasticity in response to training. Forty-eight subjects (18-84 yr) completed this study (training: n = 14 younger, 14 older; control: n = 12 younger, 8 older). Median motor NCV and maximal strength were recorded before and after 4 weeks of handgrip training in both limbs. Training was conducted 3 times per week with the use of a grip training kit.
The results revealed significant increases in NCV for both the young (Cohen’s d = 0.749) and older training groups (Cohen’s d = 0.679), but neither in control groups (young: Cohen’s d = 0.326; older: Cohen’s d = -0.184). The results of this study suggest that resistance training may be a viable method to counteract age-related nerve deterioration.
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