Effect of differents physical activity programs and sedentary lifestyle on sarcopenia in elderly

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of different physical activity programs and sedentary lifestyle on the process of sarcopenia in elderly. 60 elderly subjects participated in this study (51 women and 9 men), divided into 3 groups: maintenance exercise group (n=20), swimming group (n=20) and control group (n=20). A total of 9 anthropometric measurements were made to determine the muscle mass (body mass, height, 3 skinfolds and 4 perimeters) according to Martin (1990) and Lee (2000) equations. Handgrip strength was measured using a dynamometer. No significant differences were found (p ≤ 0,05) between active and sedentary subjects. Furthermore, no significant differences were found among maintenance exercise group, swimming group and control group. Therefore, according to the results, we can conclude that there is not relationship between exercise and the reduction of process of sarcopenia in elderly.