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Review
. 2019 Sep 9;11(9):2163.
doi: 10.3390/nu11092163.

Effects of Exercise and Nutritional Intervention on Body Composition, Metabolic Health, and Physical Performance in Adults with Sarcopenic Obesity: A Meta-Analysis

Kuo-Jen Hsu  1 , Chun-De Liao  2 , Mei-Wun Tsai  3 , Chiao-Nan Chen  4
Affiliations
Review

Effects of Exercise and Nutritional Intervention on Body Composition, Metabolic Health, and Physical Performance in Adults with Sarcopenic Obesity: A Meta-Analysis

Kuo-Jen Hsu et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

People with sarcopenic obesity (SO) are characterized by both low muscle mass (sarcopenia) and high body fat (obesity); they have greater risks of metabolic diseases and physical disability than people with sarcopenia or obesity alone. Exercise and nutrition have been reported to be effective for both obesity and sarcopenia management. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of exercise and nutrition on body composition, metabolic health, and physical performance in individuals with SO. Studies investigating the effects of exercise and nutrition on body composition, metabolic health, and physical performance in SO individuals were searched from electronic databases up to April 2019. Fifteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Aerobic exercise decreased body weight and fat mass (FM). Resistance exercise (RE) decreased FM and improved grip strength. The combination of aerobic exercise and RE decreased FM and improved walking speed. Nutritional intervention, especially low-calorie high-protein (LCHP) diet, decreased FM but did not affect muscle mass and grip strength. In addition to exercise training, nutrition did not provide extra benefits in outcome. Exercise, especially RE, is essential to improve body composition and physical performance in individuals with SO. Nutritional intervention with LCHP decreases FM but does not improve physical performance.

Keywords: aerobic exercise; resistance exercise; supplementation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The sponsors had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The study selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plots of comparisons between exercise and the control groups for parameters of body composition in individuals with sarcopenic obesity. ASM: appendicular skeletal muscle mass; BF%: body fat percentage; BMI: body mass index; BW: body weight; FM: total fat mass; TSM: total skeletal muscle mass.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plots of comparisons between exercise and the control groups for lipid profiles and C-reactive protein (CRP) in individuals with sarcopenic obesity. CHOL: total cholesterol; HDL: high density lipoprotein; LDL: low density lipoprotein; TG: triglycerides.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plots of comparisons between exercise and the control groups on grip strength and walking speed in individuals with sarcopenic obesity.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plots of comparisons between nutrition and the control groups for total fat mass (FM), total skeletal muscle mass (TSM), and grip strength in individuals with sarcopenic obesity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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