Effects of Resistance Exercise in Older Adults With Sarcopenic Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Su-Ru Chen, Mei-Chuan Chen, Wen-Hsuan Hou and 1 others
PMID 40586735WHAT IT FOUND
Resistance exercise improved grip strength and reduced percentage body fat in older adults with sarcopenic obesity, but did not improve gait speed or body mass index.
The grip strength result may be overstated.
Key findings
01Grip strength improved after resistance exercise (mean difference 1.560; 95% CI 0.178 to 2.941; p = .027).
02Gait speed did not significantly improve after resistance exercise (mean difference 0.043; 95% CI -0.024 to 0.111; p = .209).
03Percentage body fat decreased after resistance exercise (mean difference -1.737; 95% CI -2.563 to -0.912; p < .001), but BMI did not significantly decrease (mean difference -0.431; 95% CI -1.319 to 0.458; p = .342).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 12 trials were included, and some had fewer than 30 participants in each group. Publication bias was suspected for grip strength, so the positive grip strength effect may be overstated. The sample was mostly female, with 91% of participants female, so results may apply less well to men. Several included trials had uncertain or high overall risk of bias. The interventions were mostly low to moderate intensity and may have included seated upper-limb work, which may explain the lack of gait speed improvement. Dietary habits and other exercises were not considered. Adverse effects were poorly reported: seven studies did not report them, three reported none, and two reported mild effects.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude resistance exercise improves walking speed or body mass index in older adults with sarcopenic obesity. The pooled changes in gait speed and BMI were not significant.