本研究の目的は積雪寒冷地の生活で求められる身体機能の1つである除雪能力に対する筋力トレーニングの効果について検証することであった。高齢男性18名(平均年齢66.2±3.2歳)で構成されるトレーニング実施群(RTR:週2回、15週間)とトレーニングを実施しない14名の対照群(CON:平均年齢68.1±5.2歳)における1RM(1 repetition maximum)およびショベリング投擲距離などの身体資質に関する測定を実施しトレーニング期間の前後で比較した。その結果、CON群では有意な変化がみられなかつたものの、RTR群にあっては1RMのすべての種目で有意な変化がみられたほか、6分間歩行、脚伸展パワーおよびショベリング投擲力の値に有意な変化がみられた。また、除雪能力に対する筋力トレーニング種目の影響を探索するために行った重回帰分析においては、バックエクステンションとショベリング投擲距離に有意な関連性がみられた。以上の結果から、筋力トレーニングの実施が除雪作業に必要な身体資質を改善するために有効であることが推察されるとともに、腰背部の伸展に関するトレーニングの重要性が示唆された。The objectives of this study were to elucidate the effects of machine resistance training on vital function required to snow shoveling. Eighteen non-institutionalized older men (RTR, mean age 66.2 years) participated in machine resistance training including leg curl, leg extension, abdominal crunch, back extension and lat pull down 2 day/wk for 15 wks. Fourteen older men (mean 68.1 years) volunteered to be control subjects (CON) who did not perform any regular exercise during the same period of RT. All of the subjects were engaging in habitual snow shoveling during winter. Outcome measures included grip strength, six-minutes walk distance, leg extension power and shoveling throw ability test and 1-RM strength tests of resistance exercises. Shoveling throw ability test was evaluated by throw distance at 5 kg sand bag using a snow shovel. Six-minutes walk distance (+10%, p<0.01), leg extension power (+15.%, p<0.01), shoveling throw ability test (18%, p<0.01) and performance in 1-RM strength tests including leg curl (34%,p<0.01), leg extension (31%, p<0.01), abdominal crunch (22%, p<0.01), back extension (44%,p<0.01), lat pull down (28%, p<0.01) improved significantly in the RTR, while no significant difference was observed in CON before and after training period. Results from the overall multiple regression analysis of all subjects to assess the contribution of predictor variables as gain in one repetition maximum (increasing rate) in resistance exercise for dependent variable (increasing rate in shovel power) suggest that back extension was the best predictor as high contribution to explain gain of the shoveling throw ability. It was suggested that machine resistance training is effective to enhance vital function required to snow shoveling for older men.