Residual effects of 12 weeks of power-oriented resistance training plus high-intensity interval training on muscle dysfunction, systemic oxidative damage, and antioxidant capacity after 10 months of training cessation in older people with COPD.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the residual effects of a 12-week concurrent training program (power training + high-intensity interval training) in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods: A total of 21 older adults with COPD [intervention (INT), n = 8; control (CON), n = 13; 76.9 ± 6.8 years] were assessed at baseline and 10 months after the completion of the intervention by the short physical performance battery (SPPB), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), vastus lateralis muscle thickness (MT), peak pulmonary oxygen uptake (peak VO ₂ ) and peak work rate (W _peak ), early and late isometric rate of force development (RFD), leg and chest press maximum muscle power (LP _max and CP _max ), and systemic oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity.
Results: Compared to baseline, after 10 months of detraining, the INT group presented increased SPPB (∆ = 1.0 point), health-related quality of life (∆ = 0.07 points), early RFD (∆ = 834 N∙s ^-1 ), LP _max (∆ = 62.2 W), and CP _max (∆ = 16.0 W) (all p < 0.05). In addition, a positive effect was noted in INT compared to CON regarding MT and W _peak (both p < 0.05). No between-group differences were reported in peak VO ₂ , late RFD, systemic oxidative damage, and antioxidant capacity from baseline to 10 months after the completion of the intervention (all p > 0.05).
Conclusions: Twelve weeks of concurrent training were enough to ensure improved physical function, health-related quality of life, early RFD and maximum muscle power and to preserve MT and W _peak but not peak VO ₂ , late RFD, systemic oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity in the subsequent 10 months of detraining in older adults with COPD.
(© 2023 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)