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The influence of resistance training on inflammatory markers, body composition and functional capacity in healthy older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Archives of gerontology and geriatrics
March 1, 2025
Ali Nejatian Hoseinpour et al. (7 authors)
Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the effect of resistance training on inflammatory biomarkers, body composition, and functional capacity in healthy adults aged 60 years and over, and to examine the moderating effect of exercise variables on inflammatory markers.

Results Summary

Resistance training significantly reduced CRP levels and improved leg extension strength and 6-MWT performance, but did not significantly affect TNF-α or IL-6 levels.

Population

Healthy adults aged 60 years and over.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (5)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Resistance training (RT)
decrease
CRP levels
healthy adults aged 60 years and over
MD:0.74
significantly decreased
#1
Resistance training (RT)
no change
TNF-α
healthy adults aged 60 years and over
MD: 0.1
did not show significant changes
#2
Resistance training (RT)
no change
IL-6
healthy adults aged 60 years and over
MD:0.27
did not show significant changes
#3
Resistance training (RT)
increase
leg extension strength
healthy adults aged 60 years and over
-
enhanced
#4
Resistance training (RT)
increase
6-MWT performance
healthy adults aged 60 years and over
-
enhanced
#5
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Older adults experience chronic inflammation, which is associated with health conditions such as sarcopenia, and resulting in reduced functional capacity. Resistance training (RT) is a beneficial intervention for improving health in the elderly. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of RT on inflammatory biomarkers, body composition, and functional capacity in healthy adults aged 60 years and over. Additionally, this study conducted a meta-regression to investigate the moderating effect of exercise variables on inflammatory markers. METHOD: Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched systematically until December 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the impact of RT on C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), body weight, BMI, fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, leg extension strength and six-minute walk test (6-MWT) were included. Effect size was estimated by using the mean difference (MD) with 95 % confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Nineteen RTCs involving 728 participants were included. The results revealed that CRP levels significantly decreased following RT programs (MD:0.74, p= 0.008), while TNF-α (MD: 0.1, p= 0.95) and IL-6 (MD:0.27, p= 0.12) did not show significant changes. Additionally, RT enhanced leg extension strength and 6-MWT performance. CONCLUSION: RT effectively reduces CRP concentrations and enhances functional capacity in healthy older adults. However, it does not have a significant impact on TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Future researches are needed to make a clear conclusion and understand the mechanisms underlying the effects of RT in healthy older adults. REGISTRATION: The original protocol was registered (CRD42023487573) in PROSPERO database.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AgedHumansMiddle AgedBiomarkersBody CompositionC-Reactive ProteinInflammationInterleukin-6Muscle StrengthRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResistance TrainingSarcopeniaTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaHealthy Volunteers
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations2
Citations/Year2.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.50
Normalized Score0.67
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