This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 6-week multicomponent exercise program on body fat percentage and RMR, in sarcopenic older adults residing in long-term care settings (LTCS).
The quasi-experimental study was conducted among sarcopenic older adults residing in LTCS. Participants were included if they were (1) aged 60 years or older, (2) of any gender, (3) had a Barthel Index score of ≥60, and (4) were diagnosed with sarcopenia based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS-2019) criteria. Participants were excluded if they were: (1) critically ill/ terminally ill/ active infection, (2) presence of pacemaker and any metal implant, (3) bed bound/ wheelchair bound, (4) acute onset (less than 30 days) of cardiorespiratory/ neurological/ renal/ orthopaedic disease. The procedure was explained to the participants and after obtaining the informed consent, participants were screened for eligibility as per the criteria. The participants underwent a Reablement Strategies targeting Sarcopenia (ReStart-S) program, a 6-week multicomponent exercise program (2 sessions per week), focusing on strength, aerobic, balance, and stretching. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted for body composition parameters, including fat percentage and RMR, using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Descriptive statistics is used for demographic details. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare the pre-and post-intervention differences in fat percentage and RMR.
Thirty-eight (n=38) older adults (age 67.86 ± 6.09 years) participated in the study. The mean fat percentage decreased marginally from 32.71% (±6.29) at baseline to 32.55% (±6.10) post-intervention, with a mean difference of -0.158 (p = 0.698). Similarly, the RMR showed a minor increase from 1187.16 kcal (±210.09) at baseline to 1193.53 kcal (±217.07) post-intervention, yielding a mean difference of 6.368 kcal (p = 0.532). Both outcomes indicated no statistically significant changes over the study period.
The 6-week multicomponent exercise program led to a slight decrease in fat percentage and a small increase in RMR among the participants. However, changes were not statistically significant.
This highlights the need for a longer-duration exercise program, along with the integration of nutritional strategies, to effectively address the fat percentage and RMR in older adults with sarcopenia.
Older adults
Sarcopenia
