High-velocity resistance training as a tool to improve functional performance and muscle power in older adults

The aging process results in several physiological impairments that, in turn, may predispose older individuals to a series of restrictions on their functional capacity. These impairments are important to understand so that suitable conditions for healthier aging can be pursued. In this review, we first summarize the effects of aging on the neuromuscular system, as well as on the relation between the main age-associated physiological impairments and functional performance with an emphasis on muscle power output. We then proceed to discuss the effects of resistance training, specifically high-velocity resistance training (HVRT), on the aforementioned neuromuscular impairments, and on functional performance in healthy and mobility-limited older adults. Collectively, available evidence suggests that HVRT seems to be a safe and effective intervention for improving muscle power, functional performance, and mobility of older individuals. It also seems that mobility-limited older adults may improve power and functional performance to a greater extent than their healthy counterparts after HVRT, which is in line with the principle of diminishing returns. Considering that only a very limited number of investigations directly compared the effects of HVRT in more than one of the aforementioned groups, studies comparing the adaptations to HVRT of middle-aged adults and older adults with distinct functional capacities would be valuable to determine whether there are differences in neuromuscular adaptations, functional performance, and functional reserve among these groups.