Effects of Sensory Integration Versus Traditional Resistance Training on Knee Strength and Proprioception in Older Adults

Resistance training (RT) is a well-established exercise intervention, but the benefits of RT with sensory integration (RT-SI) in older adults remain underexplored. In this study, we compared the effects of traditional RT and RT-SI on knee muscle strength and proprioception in older adults. We randomly assigned 52 older adults to one of four groups: control (C), medium-intensity RT (MIRT), low-intensity RT-SI (LIRT-SI), and medium-intensity RT-SI (MIRT-SI). Knee strength improved significantly in all intervention groups at 8 and 16 weeks of the 16-week intervention period compared with the C group (P < 0.005), with the MIRT (extension peak torque [PT-E]: 88.1%; flexion peak torque [PT-F]: 103.4%) and MIRT-SI (PT-E: 88.2%; PT-F: 103.6%) groups demonstrating significantly greater improvements compared with the LIRT-SI group (PT-E: 50.8%; PT-F: 78.5%) (P < 0.05). The LIRT-SI (10.22%) and MIRT-SI (11.53%) groups showed significantly greater improvements in proprioceptive function compared with the MIRT group (7.45%) (P < 0.05). Therefore, while RT alone is sufficient to build muscle strength, RT-SI appears to provide additional benefits for proprioception. These findings highlight the potential of RT-SI to improve both muscle strength and proprioception in older adults, making it a promising strategy for fall prevention and functional independence.