A moderate intensity exercise program improves physical function and oxidative damage in older women with and without
Liliana Gutiérrez-López1, Ivonne M Olivares-Corichi1, Liliam Y Martínez-Arellanes1
1Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Experimental Gerontology
|April 20, 2021
Summary
Moderate intensity exercise significantly improved muscle strength, flexibility, and physical function in older women. This program also reduced oxidative damage and enhanced antioxidant defenses, particularly in those with sarcopenic obesity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Exercise Physiology
- Metabolic Health and Aging
- Oxidative Stress and Cellular Aging
Background:
- Sarcopenic obesity, characterized by excess body fat and muscle mass loss, is linked to disability and diminished physical function in older adults.
- Oxidative stress is a known contributing factor to both obesity and sarcopenia, negatively impacting muscle function and independence in elderly women.
- Maintaining physical function is critical for the independence of older women, irrespective of their sarcopenic obesity status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a moderate-intensity exercise program tailored for older women diagnosed with sarcopenic obesity.
- To evaluate the impact of this structured exercise regimen on markers of oxidative damage and overall physical function.
- To test the hypothesis that the exercise intervention would decrease oxidative damage and enhance physical capabilities in the target population.
Main Methods:
- Participants included 30 healthy women and 30 women with sarcopenic obesity (mean age ~68 years).
- Evaluations encompassed body composition, physical fitness tests (e.g., TUG, gait speed, strength, flexibility), and oxidative stress markers before and after the intervention.
- A 3-month program involved 3 weekly sessions of warm-up, flexibility, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (60-70% HRmax), low-intensity isotonic exercises with progressive resistance, and stretching.
Main Results:
- The exercise program led to a significant five-fold increase in muscle strength, improved flexibility, and enhanced gait speed and TUG test performance in both groups (P ≤ 0.001).
- Significant reductions in oxidative damage and increases in antioxidant defense were observed across both groups (P ≤ 0.001).
- The positive effects on oxidative stress markers and physical function were more pronounced in the sarcopenic obesity group.
Conclusions:
- Moderate-intensity exercise is an effective strategy for improving body composition, physical fitness, and reducing oxidative damage in older women, with or without sarcopenic obesity.
- The findings suggest that this exercise approach holds significant potential for the prevention and management of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly population.
- Regular physical activity can mitigate age-related declines in physical function and combat the detrimental effects of oxidative stress.
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