Background: Sarcopenia, marked by decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function, causes decline in functional performance. Improving functional performance through progressive resistance training (PRT) can be beneficial for promoting independence in later life. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of six months of high-intensity PRT on functional performance in community-dwelling older adults with sarcopenia. It also explored the relationship between muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle power with change in functional performance.
Methods: This single blinded, randomised controlled trial recruited 60 participants with sarcopenia, mean age: 86.2(4.2). Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used as primary outcome measure to measure functional performance. Muscle mass was estimated as skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), muscle strength was measured with leg press test, muscle power as Rate of Force Development (RFD) was calculated. Participants were randomised into either PRT group (n= 29) or control group (n= 31). PRT underwent twice weekly, supervised, whole body, high-intensity at 80% of 1 repetition maximum (1-RM), PRT session (3 sets of 8 repetitions), ~45 mins for six months. Control group received no intervention.
Results: There was a difference of 0.8 points before and after the intervention in PRT group in total SPPB scores, between group difference was not significant, 0.4 with 95% CI: -0.2 to 1.0, p = 0.2. PRT group improved with 2.2 seconds in chair sit to stand test with insignificant between group difference. There was no significant association between SMI, RFD, leg press strength, and handgrip strength, with change in SPPB scores.
Conclusion: The difference in total SPPB score and improvement in chair sit-stand test is meaningful and slightly favours PRT, although insignificant. This indicates PRT potentially maintains and enhances functional performance in older adults with sarcopenia over the course of time.
Keywords: sarcopenia, frailty, older adults, exercise, resistance training.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05691166.