Neuromuscular characteristics in trained vs. sedentary male adults with intellectual disability.
Resistance training erases most muscle weakness in adults with ID, leaving only small neural gaps.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers compared 20 trained men with ID to 20 sedentary peers. All were 25-45 years old and lived in group homes.
They tested knee strength, muscle size, and nerve speed using simple machines. Testing took took one morning per person.
What they found
The gym group was a large share stronger than the couch group. Their muscles were bigger too.
Yet both ID groups still lagged behind typical adults by 15-a large share. The gap shrank but did not vanish.
How this fits with other research
Shire et al. (2022) also split adults with ID into subgroups. They found big differences in mental switching skills. Both papers show one size does not fit all in ID.
Hermans et al. (2014) warned that a large share of older adults with ID have many health issues. F et al. prove exercise can fix at least one issue—weak muscles.
van der Miesen et al. (2024) flagged constipation risk in adults with ID. Stronger core and leg muscles from training could ease this problem too.
Why it matters
You can now tell funders that lifting weights works for adults with ID. It cuts most of the strength gap caused by the disability. Add two 30-minute resistance sessions per week to your day-program schedule. Start with leg press and seated row machines.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a simple leg-press station to your program and track 1-rep max each month.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore muscle strength production and its underlying neuromuscular characteristics in sedentary and trained individuals with intellectual disability (ID) compared with healthy sedentary individuals. METHODS: Three adult groups (age: 25.07 ± 0.70) consisting of sedentary individuals with ID (IDSG), trained individuals with ID (IDTG) and a control group (CONT) participated in the present study. Peak torque (PT) during maximal voluntary isometric contraction, voluntary activation level (VAL), surface electromyography (sEMG) recordings, electrophysiological (Mmax ) and potentiated twitch torque (PTT responses) of the knee extensor muscles and thigh muscle volume were assessed. RESULTS: Compared with CONT and IDTG, respectively, IDSG presented significantly lower PT (-48% and -42%), VAL (-24% and -9%), sEMG (-49% and -29%), Mmax (-41% and -39%) and PTT (-32% and -28%) values. These deficits were reduced between IDTG compared with CONT (i.e. PT: -10%; VAL: -16%; and sEMG: -28%) or did not differ anymore (PTT and Mmax ). Normalising PT to thigh muscle volume and/or computing theoretical PT value overwhelm strength production differences between IDTG and CONT. Training background influences the outcomes with IDTG exhibiting greater PT, VAL, sEMG, Mmax and PTT than IDSG. CONCLUSIONS: Strength production deficit in IDSG was related to both muscular and neural characteristics compared with healthy controls whereas this deficit mainly arises from neural characteristics for IDTG.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2019 · doi:10.1111/jir.12674