Effects of exercise on metabolic risk, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition in elderly women of the past decade: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Int Soc Sports NutrJun 2, 2026 (epub)
Jing Shen, Jin Peng, YuJie Luan et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of exercise on metabolic risk, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition in healthy elderly women. The analysis included 23 randomized controlled trials and found that exercise significantly reduced triglycerides by 8.56 mg/dL and total cholesterol by 26.67 mg/dL, among other cardiovascular improvements.
Key findings
- Exercise reduced triglycerides by 8.56 mg/dL (95% CI: -16.72, -0.40).
- Total cholesterol decreased by 26.67 mg/dL (95% CI: -34.92, -18.42).
- VO2peak increased by 2.78 mL/kg/min (95% CI: 1.87, 3.70).
- Relative body fat decreased by 2.47% (95% CI: -3.42, -1.53).
Why it matters
Understanding the impact of exercise on cardiovascular risk factors in elderly women is crucial for developing effective interventions to improve health outcomes in this population, particularly given their unique physiological challenges.