Quantifying the Trainability of Peripheral Nerve Function in Young and Older Adults

It is well known that the natural progression of age can result in motor neuron degeneration. Consequently, this leads to slowing of nerve conduction, denervation, and reduced motor function. Slower neural conduction can negatively alter an individual’s response time, which could increase the risk of falls. Further investigation is needed to determine the potential role exercise interventions may afford in mitigating age-related nerve deterioration. The purpose was two-fold: first, to determine the effects of resistance training on nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and second, to determine if changes in NCV are dependent on age. We hypothesized that training would result in faster nerves in both young and older adults, albeit to a lesser extent in older adults. Forty-eight subjects (18-84 yrs) completed this study (n = 26 younger, 22 older). Motor NCV and maximal strength were recorded before and after 4-weeks of handgrip training in both limbs. Training was conducted 3×/week with the use of a grip training kit. Mixed-factorial ANOVAs revealed significant increases in NCV for both the young ( p < 0.001) and older training groups ( p < 0.001), but neither control groups (p > 0.05). The young training group showed increased handgrip strength after four weeks ( p = 0.004), while the other groups did not. The results of this study suggest that resistance training may be a viable method to counteract age-related nerve deterioration. These outcomes have the potential to improve quality of life and generate greater independence for our older populations.