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Active Ageing as a Way of Life

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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
Interests: exercise physiology; muscle damage; hypoxia, hydration and cardiovascular alterations
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Western Europe has one of the oldest populations in the world, due to an increase in life expectancy. Ageing has been associated with frailty and functional limitation due to three factors: an irreversible biological and physiological process, deconditioning due to a sedentary lifestyle and comorbidity effects. Thus, along with ageing, there is a deterioration in functional reserve, which increases sensitivity to external aggressions causing frailty, sarcopenia, falls, disability, and hospitalization, with a deterioration in quality of life and physical fitness. Obesity and physical inactivity are major universal public health concerns in older people, and physical activity has been shown to have the greatest impact on survival. 

Promoting regular physical activity is one of the main non-pharmaceutical measures to improve the health of older people, who often show a low rate of physical activity. Older people reporting higher levels of illness or chronic health problems show severe difficulty walking unaided and going up and down stairs. Indeed, gait performance is an important biomarker of health in this population. Thus, this Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of active ageing, mainly changes in the essential physiological systems (e.g., locomotor, cardiovascular and respiratory systems). Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide an update on improvements in health, well-being and quality of life in older adults. 

We welcome different types of manuscript submissions, including original research articles and up-to-date reviews.

Dr. Jerónimo Aragón Vela
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • active ageing
  • physical fitness
  • physiology
  • exercise
  • healthy ageing
  • health promotion
  • cardiovascular disease

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1601 KiB  
Article
The Effectiveness of Whole-Body Vibration and Heat Therapy on the Muscle Strength, Flexibility, and Balance Abilities of Elderly Groups
by Shiuan-Yu Tseng, Chung-Liang Lai, Chung-Po Ko, Yu-Kang Chang, Hueng-Chuen Fan and Chun-Hou Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1650; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021650 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3831
Abstract
Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a novel exercise training measure that promotes the muscle strength, flexibility, and balance abilities of elderly groups. The feasibility and applicability of 20–30 min (lowering a heat pack at 73 °C by wrapping it in multiple layers of towels [...] Read more.
Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a novel exercise training measure that promotes the muscle strength, flexibility, and balance abilities of elderly groups. The feasibility and applicability of 20–30 min (lowering a heat pack at 73 °C by wrapping it in multiple layers of towels to 40–43 °C before it touched the skin) thermotherapy are increasingly being demonstrated by applications and clinical trials. Studies show that it increases the flexibility of macules and ligament. However, no studies have examined the interactions between the pre-exercise and post-exercise application of heat therapy (duration a training course). Therefore, this study investigates the effects of WBV and heat therapy on the muscle strength, flexibility, and balance abilities of elderly groups. Eighty middle-age and elderly participants with no regular exercise habits were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned to a WBV group, a WBV plus heat therapy group, a heat therapy alone group, and a control group. The WBV groups underwent 5-min, fixed-amplitude (4 mm), thrice-weekly WBV training sessions for 3 consecutive months on a WBV training machine. Participants’ balance was measured using the limits of stability (LOS) test on a balance system. The pretest and posttest knee extensor and flexor strength were tested using an isokinetic lower extremity dynamometer. Pretest and posttest flexibility changes were measured using the sit-and-reach test. Significantly larger pretest and posttest differences in flexibility and muscle strength were observed in the WBV and WBV plus heat therapy groups. The addition of heat therapy to WBV resulted in the largest flexibility improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Active Ageing as a Way of Life)
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10 pages, 1041 KiB  
Article
Arterial Stiffness Response to Acute Combined Training with Different Volumes in Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Failure Patients
by Vanessa Santos, Luís Miguel Massuça, Vitor Angarten, Xavier Melo, Rita Pinto, Bo Fernhall and Helena Santa-Clara
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14994; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214994 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2191
Abstract
Resistance training has been shown to acutely increase arterial stiffness (AS), while endurance training appears to decrease AS. However, the findings are from studies in apparently healthy subjects and have limited applicability to patients at low and high cardiovascular risk, for whom combined [...] Read more.
Resistance training has been shown to acutely increase arterial stiffness (AS), while endurance training appears to decrease AS. However, the findings are from studies in apparently healthy subjects and have limited applicability to patients at low and high cardiovascular risk, for whom combined exercise is recommended. We compared the time course of changes in local and regional indices of AS in response to high-volume combined endurance training (CET) and high-volume combined resistance training (CRT) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF). We studied 20 men with CAD and HF (10 each) aged 68.3 ± 9.6 years. AS was measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), and brachial and central blood pressure (BP) were determined after 15 min of rest and 5 and 15 min after the exercise session. All patients completed two sessions on nonconsecutive days. A protocol by time interaction effect was observed for carotid (η2 = 0.21, p = 0.02), aortic (η2 = 0.60, p < 0.001), and femoral (η2 = 0.46, p = 0.01) PWV after CET and CRT, suggesting that PWV decreased after CET and increased after CRT. Decreases in the brachial and central variables of BP across time points were observed in both protocols. CET decreased whereas CRT increased carotid, aortic, and femoral PWV at 15 min after exercise in patients with CAD and HF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Active Ageing as a Way of Life)
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12 pages, 621 KiB  
Article
Arterial Stiffness following Endurance and Resistance Exercise Sessions in Older Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
by Vanessa Santos, Luís Miguel Massuça, Vitor Angarten, Xavier Melo, Rita Pinto, Bo Fernhall and Helena Santa-Clara
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14697; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214697 - 9 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2565
Abstract
Arterial stiffness (AS) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Acute endurance training decreases AS, whereas acute resistance training increases it. However, these results are from studies in apparently healthy adults, and there is no information on the effects of such afterload AS [...] Read more.
Arterial stiffness (AS) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Acute endurance training decreases AS, whereas acute resistance training increases it. However, these results are from studies in apparently healthy adults, and there is no information on the effects of such afterload AS in elderly patients with CAD. We aimed to investigate the effect of acute endurance or resistance training on the time course of changes in the indices of AS in elderly patients with CAD in order to understand how stiffness responds after training. We tested 18 trained men with CAD. AS was measured using central and peripheral pulse wave velocity (PWV) after 15 min of rest and after 5, 15, and 30 min of endurance and resistance training sessions. The endurance session consisted of high-intensity interval walking at 85–90% of maximum heart rate, and the resistance session consisted of 70% of the maximum of one repetition. An interaction effect was found for central and peripheral PWV (p ≤ 0.001; carotid, η2 = 0.72; aortic, η2 = 0.90; femoral, η2 = 0.74), which was due to an increase in PWV after resistance and a decrease in central and peripheral PWV after endurance. This study demonstrates that training mode influences the time course of AS responses to acute exercise in these patients. Acute endurance training decreased AS, whereas resistance training significantly increased it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Active Ageing as a Way of Life)
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