Low-Volume Cycling Training Improves Body Composition and Functionality in Older People With Multimorbidity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

[Abstract] Physical exercise, when practiced regularly and in adequate doses, is a proven nonpharmacological measure that helps to prevent and reverse noncommunicable diseases, as well as reduce mortality rates from any cause. In general, older adults perform insufficient physical activity and do not meet the doses recommended by the World Health Organization for the improvement of health through physical activity. However, there is little evidence on adequate doses of exercise in older people, especially in those with multimorbidity. Our main aim was to evaluate the effect of a 6-week intervention on health-related outcomes (body composition, hemodynamic and functionality changes) in 24 individuals aged 65 and older with multimorbidity in a randomized controlled trial. The intervention consisted of a very low volume (60 min per week) of low-to-moderate intensity exercise training (perception of effort from 3 to 6 on an 11-point scale). After the intervention, blood pressure was significantly (p = 0.038) reduced in the exercise group (EG), with a higher reduction in men. Furthermore, the EG decreased their waist circumference (p = 0.005), a proxy of abdominal adiposity, and demonstrated an increased likelihood (73%) that a randomly selected change in muscle mass score from the EG would be greater than a randomly selected change score from the control group. The exercise intervention was particularly effective in enhancing the functionality of older adults with multimorbidity, especially in walking speed and balance skills. Perceptually regulated intensity during exercise training seemed to be a very interesting strategy to train individuals with low physical fitness and comorbiditiesThis work was supported by the Xunta de Galicia [ED431C 2017/49, ED431F 2017/09, FrailNet network IN607C 2016/08, and REGIDEM network IN607C 2017/02]. Laura Lorenzo-López was supported by the “Ramon y Cajal” Postdoctoral Senior Grant (RYC-2015-18394) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, co-financed by the European Social Fund. Sponsors were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publicationXunta de Galicia; ED431C 2017/49Xunta de Galicia; ED431F 2017/09Xunta de Galicia; IN607C 2016/08Xunta de Galicia; IN607C 2017/0