Background: High-speed resistance training programs aiming to increase muscle power have beneficial effects on balance.
Aim: To compare the effect of high-speed bodyweight resistance training and normal-speed bodyweight resistance training on the static and dynamic balance in community-dwelling older women.
Material and methods: Thirty-five non-disabled community-dwelling women aged 65 to 80 years were trained for 12 weeks using a high-speed bodyweight resistance training (HS-BT) or a normal-speed bodyweight resistance training (NS-BT). At baseline and after the intervention, One Leg Stance (OLS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests were measured. Participants with an attendance to training sessions of less than 70% were excluded from the final analysis.
Results: Data from 26 participants were analyzed, 14 women aged 71 ± 4 years who received HS-BT and 12 women aged 73 ± 4 years who received NS-BT. After 12 weeks of training, a significant improvement in TUG was observed in women receiving HS-BT (ΔTUG -1.07 sec, p < 0.01), but without changes in the OLS test. No significant changes were observed in any of the tests in the NS-BT group.
Conclusions: High-speed bodyweight resistance training for 12 weeks improved TUG in these women.