Strength Training and Endurance Exercise for LIFE

Research is needed to determine safe and effective exercise rehabilitation programs to prevent and improve physical disability in older adults living with HIV. This problem is of great importance to the VA. The majority of the 25 thousand HIV-infected Veterans are over 50 years of age (64%). The combined effect of aging and inflammation increase the risk for physical disability in older HIV-infected Veterans. This translational exercise training trial will examine the cardiac and skeletal muscle effects of combined aerobic exercise and resistance training to attenuate the functional declines of aging with HIV by reducing the deleterious consequences of chronic inflammation. Findings will guide future rehabilitation research on cardiac remodeling and inflammation of skeletal muscle. The proposed research will advance the goal to develop effective rehabilitation strategies that improve the health of older HIV-infected Veterans .