Too Much Fat, Too Little Muscle: Exercise Helps Older Adults
Graded Moderate — an analysis of 20 trials with random assignment and 917 participants; the authors rate the certainty of the evidence for body shape and strength as only moderate.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Participants
- 917
- Duration
- —
- Funding
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation; Postdoctoral Innovation Project of…
Older adults with low muscle and high body fat lost fat and gained some muscle and strength when they exercised.
Some older adults carry too much body fat while losing muscle at the same time. Doctors call this sarcopenic obesity. An analysis of 20 trials in this group found that people who exercised lost body fat and gained a little muscle in their arms and legs. Their grip got stronger and they walked faster.
The researchers pooled trials with 917 people in total, whose average age ranged from 64 to 81. In each trial, chance decided who exercised. On average, body fat percentage fell by about 2.6 points. LDL cholesterol also dropped slightly. Trials of pure strength training mainly showed more muscle and more strength. Programs that mixed several kinds of exercise also lowered BMI and improved walking speed.
The authors stay cautious. They rate the evidence for body shape and strength as only moderately certain. For metabolic measures such as cholesterol, they see weak evidence of very small effects. Which type of exercise suits this group best is not yet clear. The authors say better trials are needed to answer that.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.