Effect of a Resistance Training Program on Sarcopenia and Functionality of the Older Adults Living in a Nursing Home.

Importance: There are currently few evidence about resistance training as a treatment for sarcopenia in the nursing home setting.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a resistance training program on the sarcopenia and functionality of the elderly living in a nursing home.

Design, setting, and participants: A blinded longitudinal intervention study conducted in elderly people living in a nursing home from August to November 2016. Participants included a convenience sample of 19 older adults.

Intervention: We prescribed a resistance exercise program three times a week for 12 weeks. The scheme was two to three sets with eight to 15 repetitions per exercise.

Main outcome and measures: The primary outcome was an increase in muscle strength and an improvement in physical performance of the elderly people living in nursing homes.

Results: 19 older adults between 77.7 ± 8.9 years old, completed the 12 week resistance exercise program achieving a significant increase in muscle strength to 5.7 Kg (p = 0.0001) as well as nutritional intake for the first four weeks (p = 0.001); we found an improvement in physical performance (p = 0.0001) in balance (p = 0.0001), chair stand (p = 0.036) and gait speed (p = 0.0001). Of the 47.4% that reached sarcopenia degree, in the end it was 33.3%. A relationship with nutritional status (p = 0.004) and age (p = 0.019) was found with the initial and final handgrip strength (p = 0.041).

Conclusions and relevance: The resistance training program improves the functionality (muscle strength and physical performance), with the benefit of the decrease in severe sarcopenia.