Strength and endurance training on suprahyoid muscles in female elderly

Abstract

For decades, skeletal muscle adaption principles have been used as the basis for exercise prescription in limb musculature to counteract sarcopenia. Yet, there is no study on its application in suprahyoid muscles to prevent sarcopenic dysphagia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a strength-training regime (high resistance/low repetition) and an endurance-training regime (low resistance/high repetition) on suprahyoid muscle strength and endurance. Twelve female elderly (age range = 61-96 years) were assigned to strength-training group (n=6) or endurance-training group (n=6). Average maximum amplitude during typical swallows was measured at pre- and post-training. All participants attended one pre-training session, two training sessions, and one post-training session. For each training block, strengthtraining group performed six repetitions of effortful swallow, and endurance-training group performed ten repetitions of the Mendelsohn maneuver. All participants successfully completed the training. Results showed that 50% of both groups demonstrated significant improvement in average maximum amplitude after training with medium or greater than medium effect size (r ≥ .50). Endurance-training group had greater improvements in swallowing endurance compared to strength-training group. Strength-training group had higher training success rates. The findings support that different exercise intensity and volume can target specific muscle function in suprahyoid muscles.