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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Short Session High Intensity Interval Training and Treadmill Assessment in Aged Mice
Published on: February 2, 2019
Effect of bodyweight interval training on frailty status in older adults: a randomized controlled trial
Lucas Marques Vieira1, Danilo Sales Bocalini2, Clarcson Plácido Conceição Dos Santos3
1School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo - Exercise Physiology and Aging Laboratory (EACH-USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. lucasmarquesprof@gmail.com.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effect of bodyweight interval training on frailty status in older adults.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 frail older adults (74.0 ± 6.0 years; 72.4% women). Participants were allocated to bodyweight interval training (BWIT = 30) for 24 weeks or to a control group (CG = 30) instructed to maintain their usual physical activities. Frailty status (Fried phenotype), physical-functional performance, cardiohemodynamic responses, and body composition were assessed at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks. Longitudinal effects were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and categorical between-group comparisons.
Results:
BWIT was associated with a higher probability of transition to less frail states over 24 weeks (p < 0.001), whereas the control group remained stable. Significant effects were observed in the intervention group (OR = 15.44; p = 0.006) and over time at 12 weeks (OR = 4.96; p = 0.005) and 24 weeks (OR = 15.24; p < 0.001). BWIT improved knee extension strength, five-times sit-to-stand performance, gait speed, and reduced blood pressure parameters (p < 0.001), with no relevant changes in body composition.
Conclusion:
BWIT was effective in modifying frailty status in older adults over 24 weeks and may represent a feasible and accessible strategy for frailty management in primary health care.
Trial Registration:
RBR-23t5jbh (Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials), registered September 4, 2024, retrospectively registered.
