EFFECT OF RESISTANCE TRAINING ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND FUNCTIONAL RESPIRATORY CAPACITY OF ELDERLY WOMEN

ABSTRACT In the aging process, additionally to other functional losses, there are reductions in physical and functional respiratory performance.It is known that resistance training (RT) is effective at developing trophism and muscle strength; however, little is known about the influence of RT on respiratory variables. To compare maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP; MEP), Axillary, Xiphoid and Abdominal ranges - AxR, XiR and AbR -, Peakflow and performance in theIncremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT) of elderly women participating in an RT program with those of untrained ones. Methods: 53 women, aged 66 ± 5.2 years -28 participants of an extension project at Pará State University, with a minimum of 6 months of practice in a RT program, composing the trained group (TG), and 25 volunteers who composed the untrained group (UG). Assessments consisted of measurements of MIP, MEP, AxR, XiR, AbR, Peak Flow and performance in the ISWT. As results, significant differences were found, with better values in the TG as to all variables assessed, except for AbR. In conclusion, elderly women subjected to anRT program showed favorable and significant differences in MIP, MEP, XiR, Peakflow and ISWT compared tountrained ones.