Does nutritional status influence the effects of a multicomponent exercise programme on body composition and physical fitness in older adults with limited physical function?

Abstract

Physical exercise effects and ageing on fitness may be influenced by nutritional status. This study investigates the effects of a 6-month multicomponent exercise training (MCT) on nutritional status and evaluates if this type of exercise could affect differently body composition and physical fitness depending on the nutritional status of older adults with decreased functional capacity. Ninety-three participants (80.4 ± 6.0 y) were divided into control (n = 45) and intervention (n = 48) groups. The intervention consisted of a 6-month multicomponent training. Comparisons between changes in body composition and fitness during the 6-months were performed between individuals at risk of malnutrition and those well-nourished, according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment. Model mixed-effect analyses were used to investigate differences after the 6 months of MCT between groups. Well-nourished participants compared with those at risk of malnutrition had higher: arm (13.4 ± 3.5 vs 14.3 ± 33.6 repetitions) and leg strength (9.0 ± 3.0 vs 11.1 ± 3.3 repetitions), maximum walking speed (31.6 ± 13.1 vs 23.7 ± 6.3s), agility (11.9 ± 5.8 vs 8.3 ± 2.1s), and aerobic capacity (31.6 ± 13.1 vs 23.7 ± 6.3 m), at baseline. After the training, those without risk of malnutrition in CON decreased their nutritional status (-1.7 + 0.7 points). Those well-nourished that performed the intervention decreased total fat mass (-1.0 ± 0.3 kg) and body fat percentage (-1.2 ± 0.4%). Both groups of training improved similarly in all tests, except for balance, in which the well-nourished showed improvements of 6.3 ± 1.9s. These results underline the usefulness of MCT in improving physical fitness regardless of nutritional status and preventing nutritional status detriment in well-nourished older adults, who are fitter and benefit more, in terms of body composition.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03831841.Highlights Multicomponent exercise programme seems to be effective in delaying detriments in the nutritional status of well-nourished people.Well-nourished older people obtain more benefits in body composition from the multicomponent exercise than those at risk of malnutrition, decreasing adiposity.The positive effect of multicomponent exercise was observed in physical fitness independently of nutritional status.

Keywords: Ageing; fat mass; malnutrition; muscle strength.