[Relationships between nutritional status and the effects of exercise training in frail elderly people]

The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between nutritional status indicators such as body mass index (BMI) and serum albumin, and the effects of exercise intervention in community-dwelling frail elderly people.

We enrolled 44 subjects aged 65 years and older (average age 73.9±5.1 years) in this study. The subjects participated in exercise intervention, including muscle strength training twice a week for 3 months. We evaluated various functional performance measures at the start and end of the intervention, and calculated the measurement differences. We then evaluated any relationships between nutritional status and the amount of changes.

Some physical functions improved after exercise intervention, even in participants with under-nutritional status. There were no significant differences or relationships found between nutritional status and improvements in physical function.

These results suggest that the physical functions of frail elderly people can improve regardless of their nutritional status. Further study is necessary to evaluate the influence of nutritional status on exercise effects, and the optimal method of applying exercise interventions, primarily for community-dwelling frail older people.