Effects of Different Resistance Training Frequencies on Body Composition, Muscular Strength, Muscle Quality, and Metabolic Biomarkers in Sarcopenic Older Women

Abstract Dos Santos, VR, Antunes, M, dos Santos, L, Nascimento, MA, Pina, FLC, Carneiro, NH, Trindade, MCC, Venturini, D, Barbosa, DS, and Cyrino, ES. Effects of different resistance training frequencies on body composition, muscular strength, muscle quality, and metabolic biomarkers in sarcopenic older women. J Strength Cond Res 38(9): e521–e528, 2024—Resistance training (RT) can ameliorate outcomes related to sarcopenia by promoting beneficial changes in muscular strength, skeletal muscle mass (SMM), and muscle quality. This study compared the effects of 12 weeks of RT performed 2 and 3 sessions a week on body composition, muscular strength, muscle quality, and metabolic biomarkers in sarcopenic older women. Thirty-four sarcopenic older women (>60 years) were randomly assigned to perform a whole-body RT program, either 2 (G2X, n = 18) or 3 (G3X, n = 16) sessions a week during 12 weeks (8 exercises, single set of 10–15 repetitions). Body composition, muscular strength, muscle quality, and metabolic biomarkers were assessed before and after the intervention. Both groups increased ( p < 0.05) 1 repetition maximum total muscular strength (G2X = +20.4% and G3X = +21.0%), SMM (G2X = +4.0% and G3X = +7.0%), and improved muscle quality (G2X = +16.7% and G3X = +13.6%), with no differences between groups ( p > 0.05). No change over time was found for IGF-1 and testosterone ( p > 0.05). Our results suggest that 12 weeks of RT performed at a lower weekly frequency is as effective as a higher frequency in improving muscular strength, SMM, and muscle quality in sarcopenic older women.