Effects of aerobic and resistance training on the cardiorespiratory fitness of young people with Down Syndrome

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of aerobic and resistance training on the maximal and submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness of young people with Down Syndrome (DS). Forty-one individuals of both sexes with Down syndrome (age, 15.51±2.70 y) were divided into three groups: CG (control group) with 10 participants; ATG group (aerobic training group) with 16 participants; and RTG (resistance training group) with 15 participants. The training program lasted 12 weeks, with frequency of 3 days a week for ATG and two RTG, and duration of 50 minutes per session. Aerobic training consisted of exercise on a treadmill/bike at intensity between 50 and 70% of reserve heart rate, while resistance training was composed of nine exercises performed on three sets of 12 maximum repetitions for each exercise. Aerobic and resistance training were not able to increase peak oxygen uptake. However, there was an increase in the maximum ventilation and a decrease of submaximal heart rate only for groups who participated in the training program. Moreover, the aerobic group increased work capacity after training. Training programs led to an improvement in cardiac efficiency during submaximal activities and increased maximum ventilation, which demonstrates a cardiorespiratory improvement.