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Published on: July 5, 2017
Is the Holistic Exercise Approach Effective in Older Adults With Sarcopenia?: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Kübra Tuz Büyük1, Nezehat Özgül Ünlüer2
1Havza Vocational School, Department of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
Background/Objectives:
The study aimed to examine the effects of a holistic group exercise program on muscle thickness, physical performance, muscle strength, and nutritional status in older adults with sarcopenia.
Methods:
Thirty older adults with sarcopenia participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups: exercise and control. The exercise group participated in a 12-week holistic group exercise program performed three times per week, with each session lasting 50 min, while the control group maintained their usual daily routines and nutrition programs. Muscle thickness was assessed using ultrasound; physical performance was evaluated with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Timed Up and Go test, and Berg Balance Scale; muscle strength was measured with the Jamar handheld dynamometer; and nutritional status was assessed with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) test.
Results:
At the end of the intervention, muscle thickness, handgrip strength, Timed Up and Go score, SPPB score, Berg Balance Scale score, and MNA score were significantly higher in the exercise group compared with preintervention values (p < .05). In the control group, muscle thickness, Timed Up and Go, SPPB, Berg Balance Scale, and MNA scores showed no significant changes postintervention (p > .05). When the exercise and control groups were compared, the exercise group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in SPPB score, Berg Balance Scale score, and MNA score (p < .05).
Conclusion:
The holistic group exercise program led to improvements in several outcomes in older adults with sarcopenia. Compared with the control group, the exercise group demonstrated greater improvements in physical performance and nutritional status. Significance/Implications: This program, which integrates resistance exercises with conversation and enjoyable activities, may lead to significant improvements in older adults with sarcopenia.
