Resistance Training Performed With Single and Multiple Sets Induces Similar Improvements in Muscular Strength, Muscle Mass, Muscle Quality, and IGF-1 in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Cunha PM, Nunes JP, Tomeleri CM, Nascimento MA, Schoenfeld BJ, Antunes M, Gobbo LA, Teixeira D, and Cyrino ES. Resistance training performed with single and multiple sets induces similar improvements in muscular strength, muscle mass, muscle quality, and IGF-1 in older women: A randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 34(4): 1008–1016, 2020—The purpose of this study was to compare the effects between single set vs. multiple sets of resistance training (RT) on measures of muscular strength, muscle mass, muscle quality (MQ), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in untrained healthy older women. Sixty-two older women were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 groups: single-set RT (SS, n = 21), multiple-sets RT (MS, n = 20), or nontraining control (CG, n = 21). Both training groups performed RT for 12 weeks, using 8 exercises of 10–15 repetitions maximum for each exercise. The SS group performed only 1 set per exercise, whereas MS performed 3 sets. Anthropometry, muscle strength (1RM tests), lean soft tissue (LST), and MQ from upper limbs (UL) and lower limbs (LL), and IGF-1 were measured before and after training. Both training groups showed significant pre-training to post-training increases for UL1RM (SS: 37.1%, MS: 27.3%, CG: −3.0%), LL1RM (SS: 16.3%, MS: 21.7%, CG: −0.7%), ULLST (SS: 7.8%, MS: 8.8%, CG: −1.1%), LLLST (SS: 5.6%, MS: 6.3%, CG: −0.8%), upper-limb muscle quality (SS: 25.2%, MS: 16.7%, CG: −0.2%), lower-limb muscle quality (SS: 10.5%, MS: 15.4%, CG: −3.5%), and IGF-1 (SS: +7.1%, MS: +10.1%, CG: −2.2%). We conclude that both SS and MS produce similar increases in muscular strength, LST, and MQ of upper and lower limbs, and IGF-1 after 12 weeks of RT in untrained older women. Our results suggest that, in the early stages, the RT regardless number of sets is effective for improving muscular outcomes in this population.

Effects of Progressive Resistance Training on Cognition and IGF-1 Levels in Elder Women Who Live in Areas with High Air Pollution

“…The SP group obtained especially negative results, showing a significantly different decrease with respect to the active groups (AC vs. SP: p < 0.001 and AP vs. SP: p < 0.05). It has been reported that basal levels of IGF-1 did not change systematically due to resistance training, nor did they differ between young men and older men [57], however these results are in line with those reported in a recent study in which untrained older women were subjected to a strength training programme, improving their IGF-1 levels by 7-10% in twelve intervention weeks, whereas the control group decreased by 2.2% [58]. Likewise, a group of older adults with sarcopenic obesity who engaged in a resistance training programme demonstrated increased muscle strength performance and serum IGF-1 level [26].…”

The effect of resistance training programs on lean body mass in postmenopausal and elderly women: a meta-analysis of observational studies

“…Of the different body regions exposed to RT, 23 studies implemented full-body RT [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55], and 3 implemented lower body RT [9, 31,42]. Thus, only the areas of the body which underwent the RT intervention have been examined by the afore mentioned screening tools.…”

Effects of Three Resistance Exercise Orders on Muscular Function and Body Composition in Older Women

“…× repetitions (no.)] [19]. The VL of each week (VL/week) was calculated by summing all the exercise-VL of the eight exercises, obtained in all weekly sessions.…”