Research and News
Posts tagged strength training
Thera-Band® resistance helps female cancer survivors keep fit after chemotherapy
Aug 10th
Breast cancer survivors often experience weight gain after chemotherapy, particularly pre-menopausal women. This weight gain has been associated with an increased recurrence and death from breast cancer (Chlebowski et al. 2006). Researchers at the University of Washington and Oregon Health Sciences University suggested that exercise may be a low-cost, non-pharmacologic strategy to prevent or reverse weight changes in female cancer survivors. In their randomized controlled study, 112 women newly diagnosed with cancer were randomly assigned to a resistance exercise group, aerobic exercise group, or a control group (usual care). Both exercise groups performed their routines 4 times per week at their home for 12 months. Each exercise routine took 20 to 30 minutes and the exercises used the Borg Scale to maintain a “moderate” intensity level.
The resistance exercise group used Thera-Band® resistance bands or weight equipment in their home. They performed 3 to 4 upper and lower body exercises for 2 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions with progression in the resistance levels. The aerobic exercise group performed enjoyable weight-bearing activities such as walking, jogging, or dancing. Subjects were assessed before the study, half-way through the study (6 months), and at the end of the 12 month study for body weight, More >
Thera-Band® exercises safe and effective for patients with hemophilia and bleeding disorders
Jun 29th
Bleeding disorders such as hemophilia may cause bleeding in the joints, known as ‘hemarthrosis.’ This may lead to arthritis and subsequent joint replacement surgery. Exercise is an important component in managing hemarthrosis; however, many patients are hesitant to exercise for fear of injury and resulting bleeding. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of exercise in hemophilia patients.
Previously, German researchers created a strength and proprioceptive training program using Thera-Band elastic resistance and Stability Trainers. The results, published in 2003 noted improvements in strength and proprioception. The authors felt that a balance training component was important to prevent fall-related injuries in persons with hemophilia.
More recently, researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center created an individualized 6-week program using Thera-Band resistance in 33 patients with bleeding disorders. They used 3 levels of progression based the participant’s strength. Download the Thera-Band exercise protocol here. The patients then used a specific color of Thera-Band resistance corresponding to the prescribed intensity (% of an isometric manual muscle test). Subjects also performed stretching and cardiovascular exercise. A physical therapist supervised the program 2 days a week. At the end of the 6-week program, there were no injuries, pain, edema, or bleeding episodes reported. The patients significantly More >
Elastic resistance exercise program effective in high school-based exercises for teens
Jun 22nd
Elastic tubing has been proven as effective as free weights again; this time, in teenagers. Several studies have shown that Thera-Band® elastic resistance has similar effects on muscle activation and strength as isotonic resistance (Andersen et al. 2010; Colado & Triplett 2008). Current physical activity guidelines recommend resistance training to improve muscular fitness in youths. A randomized, controlled study in Preventive Medicine by Australian researchers was performed to compare the effects of a resistance exercise program in 15 year old boys and girls using either elastic or isotonic free weight resistance compared to a control group. During the 8-week program, both groups trained twice a week with a PE teacher with a 1:15 instructor-to-participant ratio. They began each session with 5 minutes of aerobic activity and dynamic stretching. Resistance exercises were performed for 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps (Weeks 1-4 = 10-12 reps; Weeks 5-8 = 8-10 reps) with 60 second rests between sets. The 10 strengthening exercises were performed in 40-50 minutes in the same order. Both groups used the Borg scale at 15-18 with an 8-12RM; in other words, participants used a resistance with each exercise that caused fatigue with the last repetition with an exertion level of 15-18 More >
Thera-Band® strength training for older adults: from acute care to home exercise
May 27th
One of the most common clinical mistakes is to arbitrarily assign resistance training levels to older adults, often choosing very low intensities. These low loads are often insufficient to increase muscle strength. Drs. Dale Avers and Marybeth Brown of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Section on Geriatrics published a whitepaper in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy on strength training for older adults.
Both the Section on Geriatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend strength training at 60% of 1 repetition maximum (RM) as the minimal intensity for strength gains. 1RM is the maximal amount of resistance an individual can move for only one repetition. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to determine 1RM capabilities in older adults. Even using a multiple RM equation to estimate 1RM may not be accurate, since they haven’t been validated in older adults. However, using Thera-Band® resistance to quantify a multiple RM level has been validated in older adults (Manor et al.)
Using a “rating of perceived exertion” or RPE scale has been advocated to better estimate resistance exercise intensity. There are 2 popular RPE scales: the Borg scale and Omni scale. Several studies on older adults using elastic resistance have used Borg’s RPE scale to dose intensity, and More >
Elastic resistance exercise safe and effective for kidney failure patients on dialysis
Feb 11th
The kidneys serve an important function in filtering the blood. Patients with severe kidney disease or kidney failure don’t have the ability to clean their blood. This condition is known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and often requires hemodialysis that cleans the blood with a machine. In 2006, over 500,000 Americans had ESRD, with over 350,000 requiring dialysis.
Dialysis patients often have reduced physical function and quality of life because of their disease complications and lack of physical activity. Unfortunately, there is little research on exercise in dialysis patients. Researchers performed a multi-center randomized controlled trial in Spain to determine the effects of a resistance training program with ankle weights and elastic bands.
27 hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to a resistive-exercise group or a low-level aerobic exercise group. Both groups, supervised by physiotherapists, exercised 3 times a week for 6 months. Each session included 5 minutes of stretching as part of warm-up and cool down, and 25 minutes of either resistance training or stationary bike riding. The resistance training group performed training at an RPE of 12-14, and emphasized lower extremity exercise.
At the end of the study, the resistance training group significantly increased in physical function compared to the control group. The More >
