Please note: This trial has finished recruiting and is not accepting new participants.

Research Center: McMaster University Department of Kinesiology
Location: Ivor Wynne Centre, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
Lead Researcher: Giulia Coletta
REB: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (HiREB) under Project #16168

Exercise is an important way for older adults to maintain their mobility and physical function as they age. As we get older, we may notice changes in our balance, ability to walk long distances, and ability to climb stairs. This may affect our ability to be active.

Researchers from McMaster University seek to understand the effects of resistance bands and flexibility exercise programs on mobility, physical function, strength, and muscle mass in older adults. The goal of our research is to develop approaches that will help older individuals become more active.

• Participants will receive a 1-month free membership to PACE which is valued at around $260
  Compensation will only be provided to eligible participants who complete the study.
  The PACE membership includes one free physiotherapy assessment and access to the PACE live-at-home library
  PACE also has personalized training programs and supervised exercises with registered kinesiologists and physiotherapists who specialize in working with older adults
• Participants may experience improvements in their mobility and overall feelings of health.
• Participants will be contributing valuable information that may benefit those with mobility issues in the future.
• Participants will be helping to advance medical research.

• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time.
• Any information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.
• Qualified health professionals will monitor your health as it relates to the study.

• Men and women aged 70 years and above who are generally healthy
• Must be able to read, write, and speak English
• Must be able to walk independently without any assistive devices such as a cane or walker
• Must be able and willing to provide blood and urine samples as well as wear a wrist-worn accelerometer for tracking physical activity
• Must not be currently completing progressive strength training more than 2 times per week (or must not have within the past 6 months)
• Must not have been diagnosed with any of the following medical conditions: history of neuromuscular conditions or muscle-wasting diseases, acute or chronic disease that interferes with your capacity to exercise, or have diabetes of any kind
• Must not smoke
• Must not be a regular or daily user of anabolic or corticosteroids
• Must not be currently undergoing or have undergone cancer treatment within the past 5 years
• Must be able to attend 6 study visits at the research site over approximately 20 weeks

The study team will explain the research in its entirety but some details are:

• Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: The resistance bands group or the flexibility group
  Participants will have testing done to measure a number of things, which includes but is not limited to:
  • Anthropometrics, body composition, and blood pressure
  • Strength testing
  • D3-Creatine (D3-Cr)
  • Sarcopenia
  • Physical activity
  • Mobility
  • Health-related quality of life
  • Frailty
  • Exercise log
• Participants will be required to undergo physical testing
  • Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) includes three tests that assess static balance, gait speed, and lower limb strength (chair stand)
  • The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is commonly used as a screening tool to assist clinicians in identifying patients at risk of falling. Participants will be timed while they rise from an armchair, walk comfortably and safely to a line on the floor three meters away, turn and walk back to the chair, and sit down again.
  • The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) will assess your functional capacity. Participants will be asked to walk, at their normal walking pace as far as possible in 6 minutes.

McMaster University Department of Kinesiology:
The Department of Kinesiology offers a direct-entry Honours B.Sc. (Kinesiology) degree. Our 4-year program, ranked among the top 25 in the world, is well-known for its quality, innovation, and it’s integrative approach to the study of kinesiology. Our students experience a broad-based curriculum composed of a mix of basic and applied science courses related to the study of human movement. Our limited enrolment program offers an exceptional learning environment offering classroom, laboratory, and fieldwork placement experiences. Graduates of McMaster’s Kinesiology are well prepared for a wide variety of opportunities, ranging from direct entry employment as kinesiologists to further training in graduate, medical or professional schools. Our curriculum meets the core competency requirements for the College of Kinesiology of Ontario.

Please note:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers would like to assure the participants that ensuring their and the study staff’s safety is of utmost importance.