"Investigating The Physiological Responses To TRX Suspension Training."

"How effectively does the TRX suspension trainer deliver short-and long-term health benefits?"

"In the past decade, the TRX Suspension Trainer has become an incredibly popular piece of fitness equipment in studios around the world. The manufacturer, along with the equipment's many proponents, has claimed it provides a variety of workouts that improve mobility and flexibility, build lean muscle and improve stability."

The Study

"Researchers recruited 16 healthy, physically active men and women (21-71 years of age), all of whom were considered low to moderate risk for cardiovascular disease.

The first part of the study was a 60-minute class, which was used to quantify each individual's acute cardiovascular and metabolic response to TRX Suspension Training.

The second part was designed to clarify the benefits over a highly varied, 8-week training program consisting of three 60-minute sessions per week. Before and after the 8 weeks, participants underwent a variety of measurements to determine maximal heart rate, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), resting blood pressure, body composition, fasting blood lipids, blood glucose, and waist circumference. In addition, participants were evaluated on muscular, neuromotor and flexibility fitness."

The Results

"During the 60-minute session, participants burned an average of nearly 400 calories, which is at the upper reaches of the 150-400 calories recommended by industry guidelines (ACSM 2014).

The training study showed positive effects on body composition and cardiovascular health, as demonstrated through significant decreases in waist circumference, body fat percentage, resting systolic blood pressure and resting diastolic blood pressure.

There were also significant improvements in muscular strength and endurance. According to Dr. Dalleck, these improvements, "if they are maintained long term, have been linked to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and (early) mortality." In addition, the reduction in resting blood pressure was significant, with "more dramatic results than are typically seen with traditional aerobic exercise," he noted.

The only area where participants didn't see a substantial improvement was in their VO2max, though this may have been because they were relatively fit at baseline."

The Bottom Line

"TRX Suspension Training produces strong metabolic responses that meet guidelines for improving and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness, increasing muscular fitness and positively affecting cardiometabolic disease risk factors."


REFERENCE
American College of Sports Medicine, 2014. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (9th ed.).Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams.