Government guidelines suggest that we should all take part in approximately two and a half hours each week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Older adults are particularly important as their overall health may decline as they get older. Therefore, exercising is important especially for older adults to improve heart and muscle health and functioning in carrying out tasks of daily living. The overall effects of aging on the body can make people less likely to withstand challenges to the body - this is termed 'resilience'. Although aerobic exercise is not super easy and requires continuity, it is not extremely difficult to get used to. However, we still do not know if some types of aerobic exercise are better for you than others at improving resilience. Therefore, this study will look at cycling vs walking to see if one is better at improving resilience in older adults who are 60-80 years old. You will be trained on either a treadmill or cycle ergometer and these exercise sessions will be done over 5 weeks, 3 days a week. Each session will last 40 minutes, start with warm-up and end with cool-down sessions. Assessments will include heart, lung, muscle, and memory and thinking measurements, all of which will be taken before and after the intervention period. This work will help us to better understand how we can improve exercise prescriptions for older adults to sustain their health and functioning in their daily life.
Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study
Participants who are able to perform exercises safely and freely
Participants who are 60-80 years old
Cardiopulmonary diseases except for well-controlled hypertension and asthma
Severe cognitive impairment
Joint disorders avoiding exercise participation
A recent heart attack, unstable angina, or severe heart failure
Parallel
treadmill exercise
Other interventionIntervention consists of exercises only. Participants in this group will walk on a treadmill. The heart rates of the participants will be monitored with a heart rate monitor while exercising in order to maintain moderate-intensity.
cycle ergometer exercise
Other interventionIntervention consists of exercises only. Participants in this group will cycle on an ergometer. The heart rates of the participants will be monitored with a heart rate monitor while exercising in order to maintain moderate-intensity.
The change in vastus lateralis mass
Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and ultrasound will be used for this. Muscle thickness, fascicle length, and pennation angle will be measured on ultrasound. BIA is simple to use, places a minimal burden on individuals, uses lightweight and inexpensive equipment, and, most significantly, provides no radiation risk compared to many other methods. It is also found feasible and reliable for the measurement of muscle mass for adults in clinical settings. Ultrasonography is also a technology that is portable, safe, and clearly distinguishes between muscle and subcutaneous fat tissues as well as a valid and novel tool for muscle mass assessment.
The changes of muscle strength with maximum voluntary contraction of knee extension
Maximum voluntary contraction is a standardized technique for assessing muscle strength in healthy older adults. Knee extension strength will be measured with an isometric dynamometer.
The change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) capacity via the Ekblom-bak (EB) test
The EB-test consists of exercise at one standardized, low work rate followed by a higher, individually set work rate. Both work rates are performed for 4 minutes at a cadence of 60rpm on a cycle ergometer. The individual higher work rate is chosen by the researcher according to the participants' gender, age, and training background. The higher work rate aims to reach the Borg rate of perceived exertion (RPE) 12-16. Heart rate is measured during the last minute of each work rate (at 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, and 4:00). Then, VO2max is estimated with a formula.
The difference in neuromuscular function via force accuracy task
Force accuracy is an important parameter since most daily activities are conducted at submaximal levels, where force fluctuation can be observed and reduce the ability to create an intended movement. Force accuracy will be measured on OTBiolab+ application.
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