Slow versus traditional strength training in obese female participants: preliminary results

The aim of this study was to provide comparative data on a slow versus a traditional supervised resistance training in an obese female population. Forty obese female patients admitted to our rehabilitation hospital were assigned randomly to a slow training group (STgroup; mean age: 47.44 years, mean BMI: 38.53kg/m2) and a traditional training group (TTgroup; mean age: 54.34 years, mean BMI: 39.37kg/m2). The ST protocol included five repetitions for five consecutive bouts on the leg press and extension machine. The duration of each repetition (concentric+eccentricphases)was6sforlegpressand5s for leg extension. The initial load was 50% of the one repetition maximum and then gradually reduced by 20% for each bout. The TT protocol included six consecutive repetitions for five bouts on the leg press and leg extension with 80% of the one repetition maximum load. Both groups performed10sessions.Allofthepatientswereassessedby a visual analogue scale for pain, a Borg scale for subjective fatigue, and an isokinetic strength test. Statistically significant strength improvements were observed in both groups.InSTgroup,statisticallysignificantimprovementsin visual analogue scale scores for knee pain were found at post, larger than that observed in TTgroup. Subjectively perceived fatigue on the Borgscale decreasedmoreat post in STgroup in comparison with TTgroup. Our preliminary data suggest that ST may represent a preferential strengthening method in obese patients as it can lead to significant strength gains with a relatively lower loading effect on the knee, and hence reduced perception of pain.