7). The lower limb strength increase represented a 42% increase in baseline strength in the experimental group compared to the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups for upper limb muscle strength or upper and lower limb physical function. Group data are presented in Table 2 and individual data in Table 3 (see eAddenda for Table check details 3). The SMD for the 1RM chest press was 0.6, for the timed stairs

test was 0.5, and for the Grocery Shelving Task was 0.3, which represented moderate effects. No major adverse events were reported. Although five participants complained of muscle soreness during the initial weeks of training, this did not preclude them from training. The reported symptoms were mild and were to be expected in a group of novice trainees completing moderate to high intensity training. Several of the study’s findings indicate that progressive resistance training was feasible and safe for adolescents with Down syndrome when facilitated by a student mentor. Adherence to the program was excellent, PD0332991 manufacturer adverse events were minimal, the reasons for missed sessions were unrelated to the intervention, and the only participant lost to follow-up was allocated to the control group. These data suggest progressive resistance training was an acceptable form of exercise to the participants,

a finding consistent with previous literature concluding that this type of training is safe for people with a range of health conditions and disabilities (Taylor et al 2005). This is

an important finding, as some people with intellectual those disability and their carers are apprehensive about taking part in exercise and believe they should not engage in exercise (Heller et al 2004). Our results and future studies should alleviate this concern and may encourage people with Down syndrome to become more active. Given that people with Down syndrome are at risk of the health consequences of inactivity (Hill et al 2003), it is necessary that we identify feasible exercise options for this group. These results suggest that progressive resistance training can be a safe, socially desirable, and feasible exercise and recreation option for adolescents with Down syndrome. Our data show that progressive resistance training was effective in improving the strength of the major antigravity muscles of the lower limb (quadriceps and hip extensors) in adolescents with Down syndrome. The average percentage increase in muscle strength was 42%, which was clinically worthwhile and was similar to increases of 27–46% reported in other populations (O’Shea et al 2007, Dodd et al 2004). Although it cannot be concluded with 95% confidence that there was a change in upper limb strength, the SMD was similar in magnitude to what was observed for changes in lower limb muscle strength.