Effects of exercise and nutritional interventions on muscle-specific strength in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Takahisa Ohta, Sho Hatanaka, Jiaqi Li et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined randomized controlled trials of interventions targeting muscle-specific strength—strength normalized by muscle mass—in adults aged 60 years or older. It included 41 trials with 3141 participants; interventions lasted at least 8 weeks. Resistance exercise improved muscle-specific strength (SMD = 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-1.09), although heterogeneity was substantial (I² = 83.5%). Aerobic exercise, concurrent training, combined exercise and nutrition, and nutritional supplementation did not show significant improvements. Effects of these other approaches remain inconclusive.
Key findings
- Across 41 RCTs involving 3141 participants, resistance exercise improved muscle-specific strength (SMD = 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-1.09).
- Heterogeneity for resistance-exercise results was high (I² = 83.5%), and high heterogeneity was observed across all included studies.
- Aerobic exercise, concurrent training, combined exercise and nutrition, and nutritional supplementation did not significantly improve muscle-specific strength.
Why it matters
Muscle-specific strength is identified as a key component of sarcopenia, and this review evaluates interventions using strength relative to muscle mass rather than strength alone. The findings suggest resistance exercise may improve this measure in older adults, while evidence for several other approaches is inconclusive. The substantial heterogeneity cautions against assuming a uniform response across interventions or populations.
What to keep in mind
High heterogeneity across the included studies limits confidence in the consistency of the pooled findings.