Effect of Poco-Poco Gymnastic Exercise on Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 and Physical Fitness in the Elderly

Abstract

Background: Aging is a multi-factorial irreversible process associated with significant decline in muscle mass and neuromuscular functions. One of the known methods to counteract age-related changes in muscle mass and function is physical exercise. Physical activity can help older people maintain indepen­dence, recover from illness, and reduce their risk of disease. One of the popular ethnic dances from Eastern Indonesia is Poco-poco. However, little is known about the effect of poco-poco on physical fitness. This study aimed to determine the effect of poco-poco gymnastic exercise on insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and physical fitness in the elderly. Subjects and Method: This was a randomized control trial study conducted in Surakarta, Central Java, from March to May 2017. A sample 30 elderly people aged 60-80 years without physical or cognitive impairments was selected for this study. This sample was divided randomly into 2 groups: (1) the experimental group received the poco-poco gymnastics and (2) the control group received cardiac exercise. The dependent variables were (1) IGF-1 and (2) physical fitness, which was measured by VO2 max. The independent variable was poco-poco gymnastics, which was composed of a 6-minute walk lasting for 6 weeks. Six weeks after treatment, the IGF-1 and VO2 max data between the two groups were compared and analyzed by t-test. Results: Before treatment, the values of IGF-1 level of the experimental group (mean= 71.80, SD= 23.58) was lower than the control group (mean= 102.27, SD= 40.35) with p= 0.018. These unequal values of IGF-1 at the baseline, therefore, must be controlled for in the data analysis. After 6 weeks of treatment, IGF-1 in the experimental group (mean= 73.27, SD= 25.75) was lower than in the control group (mean= 96.47, SD= 36.85) with p= 0.055. The increase in the value of IGF-1 before and after treatment was higher in the experimental group (mean= 1.47; SD= 2.17) than the control group (mean= -5.8; SD= -3.5) with p<0.001. The increase in the value of VO2 max in the experimental group (mean= 18.83, SD = 1.11) was comparable as the control group (mean= 18.74, SD= 0.97) with p = 0.819. Conclusion: Poco-poco is more effective than cardiac exercise in increasing IGF-1 level, but its effectiveness is equal as cardiac exercise in increasing VO2 max level in the elderly. Keywords: IGF-1 level, VO2 max, physical fitness, gymnastic exercise, elderly