Name and Surname: asist. prof. Darjan Smajla, Phd
LINK: ARIS 38157
E-mail: darjan.smajla@fvz.upr.si

Research facility (research activity location)
Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za vede o zdravju

Research field according to ARIS classification
Science: Social sciences
Field: Sport – Kinesiology

Summary of research topic and field

Flywheel training offers numerous potential advantages over the other forms of resistance training and could be a valuable tool for the elderly population. Key finding from various studies suggest that muscle power delcine in older adults is more pronounced than decline of mucle strenght and mass. By incorporating isoinertial training, resistance can be dynamically adjusted across different speeds during both the concentric and eccentric phase of muscle contraction, with notable potenital to improve muslce power and cosequently daily movement function among the elderly. Furthermore, flywheel training is cost-effective, space efficient and adaptable for use in indoor and outdoor settings. This doctoral project will comprise in three main research phases: 1) optimization of a comprehensive test battery for muslce power evaluation among eldery, 2) investigation of the effects of a 10- week flywheel training program among the elderly, compared to comntrol group and traditional weight training methods.
The primary objectives are to determine the most effective combination of load weight and resistance training speed for preserving or enhancing movement abilities and to explore their chronic effects and correlations with the functional capacities and structural characteristics of muscles and bones in older adults. The outcomes of this project will significantly contribute to knowledge in the field of comprehensive elderly care and physical function, laying the groundwork for the implementation of new measurement approaches and the optimization of power training in the elderly population.