Author(s): LENS-VALES, A., FARIÑAS, J., OVIES-GUTIÉRREZ, F., RÚA-ALONSO, M., NINE, I., RIAL-VÁZQUEZ, J., REVUELTA-LERA, B., GIRÁLDEZ-GARCÍA, M.A., IGLESIAS-SOLER, E., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF A CORUÑA, Country: SPAIN, Abstract-ID: 1886

INTRODUCTION:
In order to counteract the negative effects of hormonal changes, resistance training is strongly recommended for postmenopausal women (1). Furthermore, different organizations recommend different levels of resistance training according to age. The strength training prescription may be designed manipulating training parameters, and it has been shown that set configuration can modulate velocity and power losses, resulting in different levels of fatigue (2), but this has primarily been investigated in healthy and young individuals. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of different set configurations on mechanical performance of postmenopausal women during a bench press exercise.
METHODS:
50 physically active postmenopausal women took part in this study, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2021-124277OB). After a medical examination, each woman completed three experimental sessions in a randomised order. Each experimental session consisted of 36 repetitions of 4 exercises at 12RM (leg press, bench press, prone leg curl and lat pull-down), which differed in set configuration: 9 sets of 4 repetitions with 45 seconds rest between sets; 6 sets of 6 repetitions with 72 seconds rest between sets and 4 sets of 9 repetitions with 120 seconds rest between sets. Rest periods between exercises were 4 minutes. Throughout the exercise sessions, mechanical data were collected in bench press exercise (BP) (i.e. velocity (VL) and power (PL) loss). Explosive performance was also calculated before and after each session by performing 2 repetitions at maximum intended velocity at 70% of 12RM in bench press exercise.
RESULTS:
Main effect of session (p<0.001) was found with significant lower reductions regarding VL in 4S (mean = 28.52%) compared with 6S (mean = 38.56%) and 9S (mean = 50.64%) and 6S compared with 9S. Similarly, to VL, a main effect of session (p<0.001) was detected for PL with lower in 4S (mean = 28.52 %) in comparison with both 6S (mean = 38.56 %) and 9S (mean = 50.64 %). For neuromuscular test, we found main effect for time (p<0.001), although we did not find main effect of session (p=0.374) nor moment x session interaction (p=0.967). Mean velocity in neuromuscular test was higher in the pretest (mean=0.638 m·s-1)) than in the posttest (mean=0.609 m·s-1).
CONCLUSION:
Set configuration influences on mechanical performance of postmenopausal women in the bench press exercise. The 4S configuration allows to blunt velocity and power loss during BP exercise.

1. Hulteen RM, Marlatt KL, Allerton TD, Lovre D. Detrimental Changes in Health during Menopause: The Role of Physical Activity. Int J Sports Med [Internet]. 2023 Jun 17;44(06):389–96. Available from: http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/a-2003-9406
2. Iglesias-Soler E, Carballeira E, Sánchez-Otero T, Mayo X, Jiménez A, Chapman ML. Acute effects of distribution of rest between repetitions. Int J Sports Med. 2012;33(5):351–8.