Multicomponent exercises including muscle power training enhance muscle mass, power output, and functional outcomes in institutionalized frail nonagenarians.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 24030238 · doi:10.1007/s11357-013-9586-z
What was done
Twenty-four institutionalized frail elderly participants (mean age 91.9 ± 4.1 years) were randomized to an intervention or control group. The intervention group completed a 12-week, twice-weekly multicomponent exercise program consisting of muscle power training (8–10 repetitions, 40–60% of one-repetition maximum) combined with balance and gait retraining. Outcomes assessed included upper and lower limb strength and power, 5-m habitual gait speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG) with and without dual tasks, FICSIT-4 balance, chair rise test, fall incidence via questionnaires, baseline Barthel Index, and midthigh muscle cross-sectional area and fat infiltration measured by computed tomography.
What was found
The abstract does not report raw numerical values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in single- and dual-task TUG, chair rise ability, balance performance (P < 0.01), muscle power and strength (P < 0.01), and total and high-density muscle cross-sectional area, along with reduced incidence of falls. The control group demonstrated significant reductions in strength and functional outcomes.
Why it matters
This study shows that institutionalized nonagenarians retain neuromuscular plasticity and can achieve gains in muscle mass, power, and functional mobility through targeted multicomponent exercise.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n = 24), and no numerical point estimates or variability measures are reported in the abstract. Findings from institutionalized, frail nonagenarians may not generalize to community-dwelling older adults, and long-term sustainability after the 12-week intervention was not evaluated.
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