Effects of Rowing Exercise on Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome and Sarcopenia for Senior People

Higuchi, Mitsuru; Asaka, Meiko

Abstract

Aerobic and resistance exercises are recommended for senior people to help prevent metabolic syndrome and sarcopenia, respectively. Rowing involves almost all of the muscles in the body and has elements of both aerobic and resistance exercise. Rowing exercise using boats on water or indoor ergometers at sports gyms has been widely performed by senior people worldwide. Because rowing is practiced on a seat, less impact is placed upon the knee joints, making it safe for senior people who are categorized as over-weight or obese. It has been reported that rowing-trained senior people have higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), greater muscle mass in the leg and trunk than age-matched sedentary individuals. In the authors' recent study, untrained elderly men participated in a 6 month rowing exercise training using a rowing ergometer, and the results indicated that the training increased the participants' CRF and muscle size. Our studies have suggested the possibility that rowing exercise by using either boats on water or indoor ergometers has health benefit on the prevention of both metabolic syndrome and sarcopenia to achieve "Active Life" and "Active Aging" for senior people.