IPC

NCT05144815

In recent decades, the percentage of people over the age of 65 is increasing rapidly, due to rising life expectancy and declining fertility rates. According to the World Health Organisation, people in this age range will make up 22% of the population in 2050, compared to 12% today. Improving quality of life (health) and preventing disability has therefore become a public health challenge.

In this context, physical exercise has been shown to prevent sarcopenia, functional decline, chronic diseases and even mortality in this group.

One training method that could enhance the benefits of walking is ischaemic preconditioning (IPC), characterised by the application of brief periods of circulatory occlusion-reperfusion to a limb, minutes or hours before exercising. This type of intervention, initially used to delay/prevent cell damage in patients with myocardial infarction, has recently shown beneficial effects in young people to improve physical performance in a wide variety of sports, as well as to improve recovery from associated muscle damage, which is of particular interest in the adults. In fact, the application of isolated IPC for two weeks has been shown to improve walking speed and reduce fatigue in post-stroke patients.

Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a resistance exercise programme preceded by ischaemic preconditioning on parameters related to physical function, cognitive status and quality of life in elderly people.

ischaemic preconditioning, walking, elderly people

Department of Physiotherapy of the Universitat de València

E-mail: ejerciciomayores@uv.es