The order Effect of Concurrent Aerobic- Strength Training with Vascular Occlusion on Physical Fitness in Elderly Women

Order of the concurrent training is one of the essential training principles which has been less investigated specially with respect to restricted blood flow and in elderly women. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of concurrent training order (aerobic- strength vs strength-aerobic) in the same session with vascular occlusion on physical fitness in elderly women.

Fourteen elderly women (age 60-70 yr) randomly divided into 3 groups: strength prior to (SE, n=14) or after (ES, n=13) endurance training and the control group (Con=13). Both aerobic and strength trainings were performed in the same training session under the vascular occlusion (VO). The training duration was 12 weeks, three sessions per week.

The results showed that body mass index in both training groups significantly decreased compared with Con (p<0.001), but this reduction was further in ES (p<0.001). Upper and lower body strengths were significantly increased in both training group compared with Con (p<0.001), but this increase was further in SE (p<0.001). Also, muscle endurance significantly increased in both training groups compared with Con (p<0.001), with no difference between groups (p=0.280). There was only significant difference between AS with Con in aerobic capacity (p<0.001), while there was no significant difference between SA with Con (p=0.081), and AS with SA (p>0.05)

It seems that concurrent training with vascular occlusion significantly improved physical fitness components in elderly women regardless of their order and there was no obvious difference between the order of the training in one session. However, if specific training goals are to be considered, the order of the training may be determinative.