Defining and reporting exercise intensity in interventions for older adults: a modified Delphi process.

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Gerontology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Many exercise studies, particularly those involving older adults, lack detailed reporting of exercise characteristics, especially exercise intensity.
• Inconsistent reporting of exercise intensity hinders the interpretation of study results and the synthesis of evidence in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop expert-driven recommendations for categorizing exercise intensity (light, moderate, vigorous, high) in older adults.
• To establish guidelines for conducting and reporting exercise characteristics in future intervention studies involving older adults.

Main Methods:

• A three-round Delphi study conducted online in April/May 2023, involving up to 93 international interdisciplinary experts.
• Round 1: Open-ended questions for initial recommendations. Round 2: Likert scale ratings (1-10) on proposed categories. Round 3: Final rating of consensus on summarized clusters (average rating >= 8.0).

Main Results:

• A consensus was reached on 205 items after excluding 38, with 37 participants completing the final round.
• Experts demonstrated strong agreement (6.7-8.8/10) on final categorizations and the importance of reporting exercise intensity.
• Conflicting results emerged for categorizing specific exercise types like yoga, balance, and coordination training into light or moderate intensity.

Conclusions:

• The developed exercise intensity classifications provide a practical framework for the scientific community.
• These recommendations can enhance the quality of future intervention studies and improve the reliability of systematic reviews and meta-analyses by ensuring vital exercise intensity data is reported.