Fit in old age

F.i.A.T – Fit in old age due to professional training

Maintaining the mobility and independence of older people is an important goal of geriatrics. The geriatric syndrome of “Frailty” has a significant impact on functionality, fall frequency, hospital and nursing home admissions and mortality of elderly people. Frailty is most often defined by its physical components. Five criteria developed by L. Fried (2001) are applied here. If one or two of these characteristics are present, one speaks of a so-called “pre-frailty”; if three or more characteristics are present, the presence of a “frailty” is diagnosed (Fried et al., 2001). In order to delay or completely prevent the progression of the frailty stage, early sports training is recommended. The aim of the randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of conventional strength training in comparison to special fast-acting power training in people with prefrailty. The training contents are adapted to everyday requirements. In addition to the basic applicability, effects on muscle strength, muscle power and functionality are investigated.

Period: 2008-2011
Project managers: Prof. Dr. Klaus Pfeifer, Prof. Dr. Cornel Sieber (Klinikum Nürnberg)
Project staff: Dr. Astrid Zech, PD Dr. Ellen Freiberger, Dr. Jürgen Bauer, Dr. Michael Drey
Cooperation partner: Klinikum Nürnberg, Medizinische Klinik II
Sponsor: Robert-Bosch Foundation