Effectiveness of elastic band training and group-based dance on physical-functional performance in older women with sarcopenia: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia is a syndrome associated with aging that causes progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle function. In this pilot study, we compared the effectiveness of elastic band training regarding group-based dance on fat mass, fat-free mass, handgrip strength (HGS; dominant and non-dominant hand), leg strength, timed up-and-go (TUG) and walking speed in older women with sarcopenia.

METHODS

This is a randomized controlled trial, single-blind, repeated measures of parallel groups (elastic band group: EBG, n = 21; group-based dance: GBD, n = 19), and a quantitative methodology. Three 60-minute sessions per week for 12 weeks were dedicated to the interventions with pre- and post-assessments. A two-factor mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with repeated measures was performed to measure the group×time effect.

RESULTS

A significant interaction revealed for fat-free mass (F1,16= 18.91; p < 0.001; EBG + 10.9% vs. GBD - 1.97%), HGS dominant hand (F1,16= 7.44; p = 0.014; EBG + 10.9% vs. GBD + 0.59%), HGS non-dominant hand (F1,16= 6.41; p = 0.022; EBG + 10.21% vs. GBD + 3.80%), leg strength (F1,16= 17.98; p < 0.001; EBG + 9.1% vs. GBD + 3.83%), TUG (F1,16= 7.52; p = 0.014; EBG - 14.7% vs. GBD - 1.0%) and walking speed (F1,16 = 6.40; p = 0.019; EBG - 7.6% vs. GBD - 4.35%) in favor of EBG.

CONCLUSION

Elastic band training produces significantly greater responses on physical-functional performance regarding group-based dance in older women with sarcopenia. On the other hand, the EBG revealed a significant improvement in fat-free mass and upper and lower limb muscle strength, as well as a significant decrease time in TUG, and walking speed. Elastic band exercise is a safe, easy, affordable, and effective physical activity strategy, according to the findings.

Impact of adapted taekwondo vs. multicomponent training on health status in independent older women: a randomized controlled trial

This study, called the TKD and Aging Project, aimed to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program concerning multicomponent training on blood pressure, morphological variables, food consumption frequency, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical fitness, handgrip strength, and postural balance in independent older women. A randomized controlled trial study was conducted with parallel groups for 8 weeks (24 sessions of 60 min each), employing a double-blind design and incorporating repeated measures. Twenty-eight older women initially participated in the intervention. Three participants were excluded because they did not participate in the re-assessments. Thus, 14 older women from the adapted taekwondo group (TKD; age: 62.86 ± 2.38 years) and 11 from the multicomponent training group (MCT; age: 63.18 ± 1.94 years) participated in the final analysis. A two-factor mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with repeated measures was performed to measure the time × group effect. The TKD showed significant improvements in the mental health (p = 0.024; ES = 0.91) and general health (p < 0.001; ES = 0.75) dimensions of the HRQoL, as well as in the chair stand (p = 0.001; ES = 1.18), arm curl (p < 0.001; ES = 2.10), 2-min step (p < 0.001; ES = 1.73), and chair sit-and-reach (p = 0.001; ES = 0.91) tests. Additionally, it showed a significant reduction in postural balance for the eyes-closed condition in the center of the pressure area (p = 0.021; ES = 0.89), mean velocity (p = 0.004; ES = 0.79), and mediolateral velocity (p < 0.001; ES = 1.26). However, the MCT showed significant increases in the general health (p = 0.013; ES = 0.95) dimension of the HRQoL and a significant reduction (p = 0.039; ES = 0.28) in the mediolateral velocity of postural balance for the eyes-closed condition. Multiple comparisons showed that the TKD scored significantly higher in the chair stand (p = 0.017; ES = 1.79), arm curl (p = 0.003; ES = 1.77), and 2-min step (p = 0.018; ES = 0.91) tests than the MCT. Compared to multicomponent training, taekwondo improves postural balance and provides better benefits in terms of physical fitness and HRQoL for older women. Therefore, it is possible to recommend it as a safe physical activity strategy, as long as it is well-dosed, since it showed high adherence to intervention in older women.

Self-Concept and Self-Esteem, Determinants of Greater Life Satisfaction in Mountain and Climbing Technicians and Athletes

In recent decades, the exponential growth that sports practice in mountain and climbing disciplines have experienced has led to trying to find an explanation for the predisposition of those socio-emotional factors of these athletes that are considered in the search for sensations and the achievement of greater satisfaction with life. In this study, 4818 people with a sports license in the Spanish Federation of Mountain and Climbing Sports (FEDME) participated; 67.1% were men and 32.9% women. The mean age of the participants was 49.42 years (±11.9), between a range of 18 to 76 years. The following instruments were used: the Self-concept scale (AF5), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Questionnaire and the Life satisfaction scale (SWLS). The objective of this research was to study the enhancing effect of self-esteem between self-concept (physical, emotional and social) and life satisfaction. A reflective model of structural equations (PLS-SEM) was applied based on the proposed theoretical framework from an explanatory-predictive perspective. The results show the self-esteem determination coefficients [(Q² = 0.141); (R² = 0.302)] and life satisfaction [(Q² = 0.243); (R² = 0.342)] in the estimation of the model, indicating an adequate fit. Mountaineering and climbing sports can be very rewarding, but they can also be challenging and frustrating. Having a good self-concept and good self-esteem allows the athlete to enjoy achieving greater life satisfaction.

The Impact of Physical Exercises with Elements of Dance Movement Therapy on Anthropometric Parameters and Physical Fitness among Functionally Limited Older Nursing Home Residents

Changes in the composition of the body mass of functionally limited older patients may contribute to a decrease in functional fitness and the development of chronic diseases. This research aimed to assess the differences in anthropometric parameters and physical fitness of older patients, over the age of 65, in a 12-week clinical intervention study. Method: The study participants were nursing home inhabitants aged 65-85 who were functionally limited. Persons meeting the inclusion criteria were assigned to one of the three groups: Group 1-basic exercises/BE group (n = 56); Group 2-physical exercises with elements of dancing/PED group (n = 57); Group 3-control group/CO group (n = 56) routine care. The data were collected at the beginning of the study and at the 12-week mark. The outcome was observed for hand grip strength (HGS), arm curl test (ACT), Barthel Index (BI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), triceps skin fold (TSF), waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), and arm muscle area (AMA). Results: The study included 98 women and 71 men. The average age of the participants was 74.40 years. The analysis of the effects of the 12-week exercise program showed the greatest changes in HGS, ACT, and BI in the exercise groups, especially in the PED group compared to the BE group. Statistically significant differences in the examined parameters of the PED vs. BE vs. CO groups were demonstrated in favour of the exercising groups. In conclusion, a 12-week program of group physical exercises, both PED and BE, improves physical fitness indicators and anthropometric indicators.

Factors Associated with Poor Health-Related Quality of Life in Physically Active Older People

This study aimed to associate morphological variables and physical fitness with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in physically active older people. A cross-sectional study was carried out that evaluated 470 older people (89.57% female) with a mean age of 70.13 ± 6.57 years, residing in two regions of Chile. Morphological variables (body weight, bipedal height, waist circumference, body mass index, and waist to height ratio), physical fitness through the Senior Fitness Test protocol, and HRQoL using the SF-36 questionnaire were obtained. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors between morphological variables and physical fitness associated with HRQoL. The main results indicated that overweight (OR = 1.52; p = 0.034), a waist circumference with risk (OR = 1.56; p = 0.021), poor performance in the back scratch tests (OR = 1.02; p = 0.008) and timed up-and-go (OR = 1.19; p = 0.040) increased the probability of having a low general HRQoL. Also, the low performance of chair stand and arm curl tests was associated with poor physical and social dimensions of HRQoL (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a low HRQoL in physically active older people is associated with both morphological and physical fitness factors.

Effectiveness of Adapted Taekwondo, Multi-Component Training and Walking Exercise on Health Status in Independent Older Women: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (TKD & Aging Project)

This study protocol aims to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program with respect to multi-component training and walking exercise on health status in independent older women. Secondarily, we analyze the variability of the inter-individual response and compare it according to the designated training system. The sample will consist of 64 women between 60 and 65 years, randomly assigned to experimental group 1 (n = 16; adapted taekwondo), experimental group 2 (n = 16; multi-component training), experimental group 3 (n = 16, walking exercise) or control group (n = 16; no intervention). The experimental groups will perform the designated training for three sessions (60 min per session) per week over 16-weeks, while the control group will not receive any treatment. The main outcome will provide information about (i) blood pressure, (ii) lipid profile, (iii) frequency of food consumption, (iv) body composition, (v) cognitive status, (vi) brain activity, (vii) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and (viii) physical-functional fitness. Our hypothesis indicates that adapted taekwondo produces more significant effects and greater inter-individual responses in cognitive status, brain activity, HRQoL, and postural balance than the others training methods. If this intervention proves effective, it could be an alternative for older women.

Effects of Olympic Combat Sports on Health-Related Quality of Life in Middle-Aged and Older People: A Systematic Review

Olympic combat sports are unconventional physical activity strategies to train middle-aged and older people with and without health problems. This systematic review aimed to assess the available body of published peer-reviewed articles related to the effects of Olympic combat sports interventions (boxing, fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling) on health-related quality of life in adults aged 45 and older. The search was carried out in five generic databases until July 2021 and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42021244161). The PRISMA guidelines were followed and the Downs and Black checklist was used to assessed the methodological quality of the studies. After reviewing 1,151 records, only seven studies met the inclusion criteria, adding 212 participants (43.4% female) with a mean age of 63.7 years. Six studies (two with middle-aged participants and four with older people) provided data to calculate the effect size (ES) in the Olympic combat sports groups (No research that used taekwondo or wrestling as an intervention modality was found). Three studies reported beneficial changes with a small ES for the total score (d < 0.40) of the health-related quality of life. Two studies reported a beneficial change with a small ES (d = 0.49) and strong ES (d = 4.45) for physical health. One study reported improvements with a small ES for emotional (d = 0.23) and functional (d = 0.26) well-being. In conclusion, interventions based on Olympic combat sports produce beneficial effects with a small and moderate ES on health-related quality of life in male and female aged 45 and older who are healthy participants, participants with Parkinson's disease, and participants with breast cancer. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, PROSPERO: CRD42021244161.

Effects of Olympic Combat Sports on Older Adults' Health Status: A Systematic Review

The aim of this systematic review was to analyse the studies centered on the effects of Olympic combat sports (OCS [i.e., boxing, fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling]) on older adults’ physical-functional, physiological, and psychoemotional health status. The review comprised randomised-controlled trials with OCS interventions, including older adults (≥60 years), and measures of physical-functional, physiological, and/or psychoemotional health. The studies were searched through SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EBSCO databases until 5 January 2021. The PRISMA-P and TESTEX scales were used to assess the quality of the selected studies. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42020204034). Twelve OCS intervention studies were found (scored ≥ 60% for methodological quality), comprising 392 females and 343 males (mean age: 69.6 years), participating in boxing, judo, karate, and taekwondo. The qualitative analysis revealed that compared to controls, OCS training improved muscle strength, cardiorespiratory capacity, agility, balance, movement, attention, memory, mental health, anxiety, and stress tolerance. Meta-analysis was available only for the chair stand test, and an improvement was noted after OCS training compared to control. In conclusion, OCS interventions improves older adults’ physical-functional, physiological, and psychoemotional health. Our systematic review confirms that OCS training has high adherence (greater than 80%) in older adults.