Changes in muscle strength in elderly women after proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation based training

Abstract

Introduction: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) can be used to improve the quality of life of both healthy and diseased subjects, including the elderly, who suffer muscular weakness due to aging, leading to an impairment in functional capacity. Objective: Verify the effectiveness of PNF as a tool for functional conditioning. Materials and methods: We evaluated a total of ten elderly women aged 60–70 years, clinically healthy and physically active. They had the force of motion of hip flexion with knee extension analyzed by an analog dynamometer. They were then randomly and equally divided into experimental (EG) and control group (CG). The GC was instructed to continue with their normal activities while the GE held 15 training sessions in the lower limb (LL) based on the diagonal D1 and D2. Finally, a new collection wrench the two groups was performed and the data compared. Results: There was a significant increase in the average strength of GE, on the order of 31% (p < 0.01). The GC also had increased strength, but not significant (p > 0.05). Discussion: The results confirm that the FNP through initial work of readjustment and proprioceptive neuromuscular activation, and after that, conditioning of the muscle fibers (mainly resistive) is capable of amplifying the force developed by the muscle. Conclusion: The PNF was effective as training to gain muscle strength, should be better analyzed as a tool fitness, not to cause health risks, have low cost and easy application.