Effects Of 12-week Of Biodensity Training On Muscular Fitness In Women

Resistance exercise is a well-established intervention for enhancing bone density and muscular fitness. However, it may not be suitable for everyone, particularly older adults, due to physical limitations and fear of injury. bioDensity (bD) is an alternative, minimal risk, self-paced machine that was developed in 2009, comprising four isometric exercises in sequence: chest press, leg press, core pull and vertical lift. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of a 12-week supervised bD training on muscular fitness in women. METHODS: Sixteen younger female participants (age = 22.2 ± 2.6 yrs; height = 161.7 ± 4.0 cm; weight = 71.0 ± 16.7 kg) and ten older female participants (age = 64 ± 8 yrs; height = 155 ± 11 cm; weight = 66.3 ± 6.5 kg) completed a 12-week bD training program, conducted once weekly. Grip strength, vertical jump power, peak torque at knee extension and flexion were measured at baseline (visit 1), midpoint (visit 9) and post-training (visit 15). Each session from visits 3 to 12 included a five-minute warm-up on a stationary bike followed by bD training. Mixed measures ANOVA was used to compare muscular fitness between the two groups at baseline, midpoint, and post-training. RESULTS: Both younger and older groups showed gradual increases in force production of chest press and leg press on bD over the 12 weeks (p < .001). As expected, the younger group had significantly greater grip strength (p = .02), jump power (p < .001), and peak torques at knee extension and flexion (p < .05). After 12 weeks of bD training, no significant changes were observed in grip strength and jump power. However, there was a significant decline in the peak torques for knee flexion and extension in the right leg post-training (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: While the bD exercise improved force production over 12 weeks, there were minimal changes in muscular function among participants. Future research should explore increasing the frequency, repetitions, or duration of the bD exercise or compare it to a control group.