The Effects of Resistance Exercise on Muscle Damage, Position Sense, and Blood Redox Status in Young and Elderly Individuals

Background: The purpose of the present investigation was to study the possible differences between young and elderly individuals regarding muscle damage, position sense, and oxidative stress biomarkers in response to resistance eccentric-biased exercise. Methods: Ten young and 10 elderly individuals performed a bout of resistance exercise (i.e., squat exercise). Muscle damage indices (i.e., isometric peak torque, range of movement, delayed onset muscle soreness, and creatine kinase), position sense, and oxidative stress biomarkers (i.e., protein carbonyls and reduced glutathione) were assessed before and 48 h post exercise. Results: The main effect of time was significant for all measured parameters, indicating that resistance exercise that includes a large eccentric component causes muscle damage, disturbs position sense, and induces oxidative stress. However, no significant main effect of group or time × group interaction was found for all measured parameters (except isometric peak torque), indicating similar responses to resistance exercise for both young and the elderly individuals. Conclusion: There are no differences between young and elderly individuals regarding muscle damage, position sense, and oxidative stress after resistance exercise, while elderly individuals have lower muscle strength and seem to have a tendency for greater baseline oxidative stress compared to young individuals.