The Effect of Eight Weeks of Concurrent Training on Total Plasma Protein Levels and Muscle Strength of Elderly Men

Introduction: In old age, people develop muscle atrophy due to motor constraints. As a result, these factors have a significant impact on the quality of life and health of the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of concurrent training on total protein plasma levels and muscle strength in elderly men. Methods: In this study, 16 elderly men (mean age ± SD: 63.25 ± 3.87 years; weight: 80.25 ±13.69 and BMI: 27.04 ±4.19 kg / m2) were randomly divided into two groups of eight, including: (1) concurrent training, and (2) control. The training protocol consisted of eight weeks of resistance and endurance combinations, three sessions per week, taking into account the overload principle. The control group continued its routine life without any regular activity. Blood samples were taken to measure blood variables in fasting conditions before and after the training protocol. Measurement of onerepetition maximum (1RM)was done in two stages of pretest and posttest. To analyze the results, statistical procedures of dependent and independent samples ttest were used at significance level of P≤0.05. Results: Based on the results, eight weeks of training increased total protein plasma levels (P=0.002) and 1RM in leg extension and dumbbell shoulder press (P=0.0001), but this was not the case in the control group. Conclusion: It seems that concurrent training improves total protein plasma levels and maximal strength, which consequently results in muscle mass and muscle strength in elderly people.