Effect of a resistance training programme implemented with high levels of effort on physical fitness in people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes: a randomised controlled trial.
Fourteen weeks of heavy, staff-run lifting in group homes safely builds strength and trims fat in adults with intellectual disability.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers ran a 14-week high-effort resistance program inside group homes for adults with mild-moderate intellectual disability. Staff coached small groups through four-block strength sessions while a control group kept normal routines. The team tracked body fat, muscle strength, and balance before and after.
What they found
The lifting group gained more muscle and lost more body fat than the control group. Strength scores rose clearly, but balance improved only a little. High effort paid off for body composition and power.
How this fits with other research
Ellingsen et al. (2014) also ran a 14-week RCT with adults with ID, but blended aerobic, strength, and balance work. Their mix matched the new lift-only trial for strength gains, showing the benefit holds even when you drop the cardio. Ogg-Groenendaal et al. (2014) pooled 20 exercise studies and saw a 30% drop in challenging behavior no matter the intensity. Diemer et al. (2023) did not track behavior, so the papers do not clash—they simply measured different pay-offs. Moya et al. (2022) later proved the 10RM seated-squat test best captures strength change in this population, giving you a ready tool to copy the program.
Why it matters
You can run a short, high-effort lifting cycle right in the group home. No gym trip needed. Use the 10RM seated-squat test to show progress to funders and families. Stronger, leaner residents may need less help with daily tasks and show fewer behavior spikes, freeing your time for other goals.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 14-week resistance training programme implemented with high levels of effort to improve physical fitness in people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) living in group homes. METHODS: Fifty-two individuals with mild to moderate IDs participated in the experimental (n = 27; 15 men) or control groups (n = 25; 14 men). Participants performed 2 familiarisation sessions, 1 pretest, 42 training sessions (14 weeks × 3 sessions; only the experimental group) and 1 posttest. The testing sessions comprised the evaluation of body composition, static balance and muscle strength. The training sessions included four blocks: (1) dynamic bodyweight exercises, (2) dynamic exercises performed against external loads, (3) ballistic exercises and (4) static exercises. RESULTS: The main findings revealed that all variables related to body composition and muscle strength improved more after the intervention period in the experimental group than the control group, whereas the improvements in static balance for the experimental groups were lower than for the remaining variables used as markers of physical fitness. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of prescribing specific moderate-intensity to high-intensity resistance training programmes to improve body composition and muscle strength for people with IDs living in group homes.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2023 · doi:10.1111/jir.13044