Effectiveness of different types of exercise based-interventions in sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Sarcopenia is one of the most prevalent and disabling health conditions in older adults associated with muscle mass loss and a reduced ability to perform daily-living activities. Although evidence supports the use of exercise interventions to reduce the impact of sarcopenia, the most effective type of physical exercise remains unknown. The objectives of this review were (1) to determine the effectiveness of physical exercise at overall and type-specific levels on the physical performance and muscular strength of older adults with sarcopenia, and (2) to detect potential effect modifiers such as age and sex. Three databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were used to conduct the searches. We included randomised controlled trials where exercise-based interventions were applied to participants aged 65 and over diagnosed with sarcopenia using the EWGSOP2 or AWGSOP2 criteria. Bayesian meta-analyses were performed to pool the evidence using standardised mean changes from baseline [SCFB] for physical performance and mean changes from baseline for muscle strength as effect measures. The risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.