Department of Agriculture. US: The holidays
are over, and the annual New Year's resolutions to get more exercise
have begun. Now, as explained in this month's issue of Agricultural Research magazine, the elderly have more reasons than ever to join the ranks of those determined to get moving.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA)-funded scientists in Boston and co-investigators have reported
that elders with relatively little muscle mass can benefit from
preventive exercise.
The study was headed by geriatrician Christine Liu and co-authored by physiologist Roger Fielding, both with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston. They are with HNRCA's Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Laboratory, which Fielding directs.
By age 80, an estimated 40 percent of the muscle mass that was present at age 20 is lost. Age-related muscle loss—which excludes
disease-related muscle loss—is called "sarcopenia." This condition can
lead to costly surgeries and hospital stays due to fractures after falls
caused by weak muscles.
The researchers looked at data collected on 177 elders aged 70 to 89
years who were at risk of becoming disabled due to lack of mobility.
The data were collected during the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders
study. One group of volunteers participated in a physical activity
intervention that included aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility
training. The volunteers' body composition, including lean muscle and
body fat, was measured—both before and after the intervention.
The results demonstrated that elders with sarcopenia are capable of
improving their overall physical function, including balance, walking
and strength, in response to physical activity. The study was published
in January 2014 in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging.