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Effects of Exercise Training on Physiological and Functional Outcomes in Age and Frailty

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Geriatric Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 885

Editors


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Guest Editor
Cardiorespiratory & Physiology of Exercise Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Interests: exercise; dysautonomia; cardiovascular system; autonomic system; quality of life

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cardiorespiratory & Physiology of Exercise Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Interests: cardiovascular; respiratory; exercise; frailty; age; sex differences; orthostatic stress; oxygen up-take; blood flow regulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aging process is accompanied by declines in cardiovascular, autonomic, and neuromuscular function that contribute to frailty, reduced quality of life, and loss of independence. Exercise training remains one of the most effective interventions to counteract these age-related impairments. However, the mechanisms through which exercise enhances physiological adaptability and functional capacity in older adults, particularly those living with frailty, are still being uncovered.

This Special Issue invites original research and reviews exploring the effects of exercise training on physiological and functional outcomes across the spectrum of aging and frailty. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, cardiovascular and autonomic regulation, neuromuscular function, hemodynamic control, metabolic adaptations, inflammatory and molecular responses, and improvements in quality of life and physical performance. Studies using clinical, experimental, or community-based approaches are welcome, as are investigations of diverse exercise modalities such as resistance, endurance, or multimodal training.

This Special Issue aims to advance understanding of how exercise promotes healthy aging and mitigates frailty, offering valuable insights for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers.

Dr. Dihogo Gama de Matos
Dr. Rodrigo Villar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • exercise training 
  • older adults 
  • frailty 
  • cardiovascular system 
  • autonomic system 
  • quality of life 
  • healthy aging 
  • functional capacity

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 1291 KB  
Article
Can Progressive Strength Training Counteract Frailty and Improve Short-Term Autonomic Compensatory Responses During Active Standing Orthostatic Stress? A Pilot Study
by Dihogo Gama de Matos, Jefferson Lima de Santana, Felipe J. Aidar, Stephen M. Cornish, Gordon G. Giesbrecht, Albená Nunes-Silva, Roman Romero-Ortuno, Todd A. Duhamel and Rodrigo Villar
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(5), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15051679 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 603
Abstract
Background: Frailty is a multifactorial condition that significantly impacts older adults’ health and independence, which can be mitigated through training. This study examined the effects of a 12-week progressive strength training (PST) program on frailty status and short-term autonomic compensatory responses during [...] Read more.
Background: Frailty is a multifactorial condition that significantly impacts older adults’ health and independence, which can be mitigated through training. This study examined the effects of a 12-week progressive strength training (PST) program on frailty status and short-term autonomic compensatory responses during postural transitions. Methods: Eight older adults (60–79 years) classified as pre-frail or frail according to the frailty index (FI) participated in a 12-week PST program. Time and frequency-domain heart rate variability (HRV) in the supine position, cardiac parasympathetic modulation (CPM) determined from the HR 30:15 ratio (longest RR interval around the 30th heartbeat divided by the shortest RR interval around the 15th heartbeat after standing), and cardiac baroreceptor gain (CBG) assessed as the ratio of heart rate change to systolic blood pressure drop (ΔHR/ΔSBP) at 30, 60, 180, and 420 s after standing were assessed at pre-test, 8 weeks and 12 weeks (autonomic function outcomes). Physical activity levels (PAL), handgrip strength (HGS), and gait speed (GS) were assessed, and orthostatic intolerance (OI) symptoms were self-reported at pre-test, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Results: After 12 weeks of PST, FI scores decreased from 0.18 to 0.04 (78% reduction). PAL, HGS, and GS improved by 152%, 13%, and 11%, respectively. Three of eight participants reported OI symptoms at pre-test, with no reported symptoms at week 12. Despite this, PST did not enhance short-term autonomic responses. Conclusions: PST counteracted frailty and improved physical and muscular function but did not enhance indices of short-term autonomic regulation in frail older people. Full article
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