Effects of Nutrition and Exercise Interventions on Persons with Sarcopenic Obesity: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Randomised Controlled Trials.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to assess the effectiveness and certainty of evidence of nutrition (including dietary protein) and exercise interventions in persons with sarcopenic obesity (SO).
Results Summary
The study found that resistance training combined with hypocaloric diet and protein supplementation was not significantly effective on selected outcomes for persons with SO compared to no intervention. The certainty of evidence was moderate to very low due to the limited number of primary studies included.
Population
Persons with sarcopenic obesity (SO).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Resistance training | increase | gait speed | persons with SO | 0.14 m/s to 0.17 m/s | was found to improve | #1 |
Resistance training | increase | lower leg strength | persons with SO | 9.97 kg | was found to improve | #2 |
Resistance, aerobic, mixed exercise and hypocaloric diet combined with protein supplementation | no change | selected outcomes | persons with SO | no significant change | is not significantly effective on | #3 |
BACKGROUND: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is an increasing phenomenon and has been linked to several negative health consequences. The aim of this umbrella review is the assessment of effectiveness and certainty of evidence of nutrition and exercise interventions in persons with SO. METHOD: We searched for meta-analyses of RCTs in PubMed, EMBASE and CENTRAL that had been conducted in the last five years, focusing on studies on the treatment and prevention of SO. The primary endpoints were parameters for SO, such as body fat in %, skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI), gait speed, leg strength and grip strength. The methodological quality was evaluated using AMSTAR and the certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. RESULTS: Four systematic reviews with between 30 to 225 participants were included in the umbrella review. These examined four exercise interventions, two nutrition interventions and four interventions that combined nutrition and exercise. Resistance training was the most frequently studied intervention and was found to improve gait speed by 0.14 m/s to 0.17 m/s and lower leg strength by 9.97 kg. Resistance, aerobic, mixed exercise and hypocaloric diet combined with protein supplementation is not significantly effective on selected outcomes for persons with SO compared to no intervention. The low number of primary studies included in the reviews resulted in moderate to very low certainty of evidence. CONCLUSION: Despite the lack in certainty of evidence, resistance training may be a suitable intervention for persons with SO, in particular for improving muscle function. Nevertheless, further research is necessary to strengthen the evidence.