[The benefits of doing excercise in the elderly]

Advanced age is associated with changes in body composition such as muscular mass loss, which is defined as sarcopenia. The former term plays a key role in the frailty model, although its source is unknown. Myriad strategies have been used to improve and increase muscular mass and function in older persons. The muscle is a versatile system that owes its great capacity to adaption to regular exercise programs. Aerobic exercise and resistance training improve muscular function and can minimize and even reverse sarcopenia in the elderly (healthy, very elderly or frail). The main difference in prescribing exercise for healthy adults and elderly individuals is that intensity of training program is lower for the latter. This review is aimed toward the physiopathologic aspects and clinical implications regarding muscular mass loss and to programs directed toward increasing strength and/or endurance in the elderly.