Effects of water exercise on body composition and components of metabolic syndrome in older females with sarcopenic obesity.
Shumeng Qi, Naoki Horii, Keiko Kishigami and 3 others
PMID 36628145WHAT IT FOUND
Water exercise reduced leg body fat in older women with sarcopenic obesity but did not increase muscle mass or improve metabolic syndrome markers.
Knee extension strength increased in both groups. Do not expect body composition or metabolic changes from water exercise alone.
Key findings
01Leg body fat percentage decreased significantly in the water exercise group but not in the control group.
02No significant changes were observed in lean soft tissue mass or skeletal muscle index in either group.
03Components of metabolic syndrome, including blood pressure and lipids, showed no significant interaction between groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was not randomised, which introduces potential selection bias. The sample size was very small (n=20 total), limiting the generalisability of the findings. Only females were included, so results cannot be applied to men. The control group also showed improvements in muscle strength, suggesting that factors other than the water exercise (such as increased attention or general activity) may have contributed to the results.
Declared interests
The study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume water exercise builds muscle or improves metabolic health in this population. The study found no increase in lean muscle mass and no improvement in metabolic syndrome markers. The strength gains seen were also present in the control group, so they cannot be attributed solely to the water exercise intervention.