It is well known that the natural progression of age can result in motor neuron degeneration. Consequently, this leads to slowing of nerve conduction, denervation, and reduced motor function. Slower neural conduction can negatively alter an individual's response time, which could increase the risk of falls. Further investigation is needed to determine the potential role exercise interventions may afford in mitigating age-related nerve deterioration. The purpose was two-fold: first, to determine the effects of resistance training on nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and second, to determine if changes in NCV are dependent on age. We hypothesized that training would result in faster nerves in both young and older adults, albeit to a lesser extent in older adults. Forty-eight subjects (18-84 yrs) completed this study (n = 26 younger, 22 older). Motor NCV and maximal strength were recorded before and after 4-weeks of handgrip training in both limbs. Training was conducted 3x/week with the use of a grip training kit. Mixed-factorial ANOVAs revealed significant increases in NCV for both the young (p < 0.001) and older training groups (p < 0.001), but neither control groups (p > 0.05). The young training group showed increased handgrip strength after four weeks (p = 0.004), while the other groups did not. The results of this study suggest that resistance training may be a viable method to counteract age-related nerve deterioration. These outcomes have the potential to improve quality of life and generate greater independence for our older populations.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

NCT06614556

This project was funded in part by a Doctoral Research Grant awarded to J.E.S. through the Central States chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (CSACSM).

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Oklahoma State University gave ethical approval for this work (IRB-22-270)

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I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

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I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

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All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors