Thanks to body exercise, getting mobile and being less dependent

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Institutionalized elderly individuals (8th and 9th decades) often face challenges related to physical function and nutritional status.
• Assessing the impact of interventions like exercise and supplementation is crucial for this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the influence of aerobic endurance exercise and multivitamin beverage (MV) intake on institutionalized elderly individuals.
• To evaluate changes in antioxidant status, lipid profiles, and physical performance.

Main Methods:

• A 17-week study involving four groups: exercise + MV, exercise only, MV only, and control.
• Intervention included twice-weekly aqua training and daily multivitamin beverage consumption for relevant groups.
• Biochemical markers (antioxidants, lipids, MDA) and physical performance (spiroergometry) were assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Endurance exercise did not significantly alter malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma antioxidants, or plasma lipids.
• Multivitamin intake led to increased plasma beta-carotene and, in the exercise + MV group, increased cryptoxanthin.
• Physical performance did not improve; however, the exercise + MV group showed an increased respiratory ratio and a trend towards increased lactate.

Conclusions:

• Aerobic exercise alone had limited impact on the measured biochemical markers and physical performance in this elderly population.
• Multivitamin supplementation, particularly in combination with exercise, can enhance specific antioxidant levels (beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin).
• Further research is needed to explore effective strategies for improving physical function in institutionalized older adults.