Abstract
People with sarcopenic obesity (SO) are characterized by both low muscle mass (sarcopenia) and high body fat (obesity); they have greater risks of metabolic diseases and physical disability than people with sarcopenia or obesity alone. Exercise and nutrition have been reported to be effective for both obesity and sarcopenia management. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of exercise and nutrition on body composition, metabolic health, and physical performance in individuals with SO. Studies investigating the effects of exercise and nutrition on body composition, metabolic health, and physical performance in SO individuals were searched from electronic databases up to April 2019. Fifteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Aerobic exercise decreased body weight and fat mass (FM). Resistance exercise (RE) decreased FM and improved grip strength. The combination of aerobic exercise and RE decreased FM and improved walking speed. Nutritional intervention, especially low-calorie high-protein (LCHP) diet, decreased FM but did not affect muscle mass and grip strength. In addition to exercise training, nutrition did not provide extra benefits in outcome. Exercise, especially RE, is essential to improve body composition and physical performance in individuals with SO. Nutritional intervention with LCHP decreases FM but does not improve physical performance.
Highlights
Sarcopenia involves progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass that is associated with physical disability, metabolic dysfunction, and increased mortality [1,2,3]
Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) clinical trial designs, (2) written in English and or were non-English articles translated into English, (3) participants had Sarcopenic obesity (SO), (4) interventions consisted of exercise, a diet program, or a combination of both, (5) outcome measurements included one of the following: body composition, metabolic or inflammatory biomarkers, muscle function, or physical performance
Based on the search key words, 3381 original studies were initially identified from the databases
Summary
Sarcopenia involves progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass that is associated with physical disability, metabolic dysfunction, and increased mortality [1,2,3]. Obesity is a risk factor of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular (CVD) and metabolic diseases [4]. Compared to individuals who only have sarcopenia or obesity, individuals with SO have greater risks of metabolic disorders, higher CVD prevalence, higher mortality rates, and reduced physical performance, such as walking speed [8,9,10,11,12]. Many strategies have been proposed including lifestyle intervention (exercise and nutrition), pharmacologic therapy, and bariatric surgery [13]. Exercise and nutrition are key interventions for sarcopenia management [14,15].
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