Self-management strategies and multicomponent training to mitigate the effects of the interruption of physical exercise programmes in the pandemic context on functionality, sedentary behaviour, physical capacity, mental health, body composition and quality of life in older adults: a blinded randomized controlled study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Considering the confinement recommended by the World Health Organization due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, many community physical exercise programmes for older adults have had their activities cancelled. In this context, proposing strategies to recover the possible adverse effects of the confinement period is pertinent. The use of self-management strategies associated with regular physical activity reduces sedentary behaviour and improves physical capacity in older adults. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe a multicomponent training programme combined with a self-management strategy protocol to mitigate the effects of interruptions in physical exercise programmes on functionality, physical capacity, mental health, body composition and quality of life in older adults. METHODS: This will be a blinded, randomized and controlled clinical trial performed in São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Eighty older adults will be divided into two groups: multicomponent training (Multi) and multicomponent training + self-management strategies (Multi+SM). The intervention will be performed over 16 weeks on three alternate days of every week, with 50-min sessions. The assessment of physical capacity will be performed before the interruption of physical exercise programmes (T0: initial assessment, March 2020), preintervention (T1: immediately after the return of the exercise programme) and postintervention (T2). The assessments of physical activity level, quality of life, mental health, functionality and body composition will be performed at T1 and T2. DISCUSSION: The results from this MC+SM protocol will allow us to contribute clinical support to evaluate the variables analysed and to guide future public health policies with the aim of minimizing the possible deleterious effects arising from the physical exercise interruption periods caused by epidemics and pandemics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: RBR-10zs97gk . Prospectively registered in Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) on 17 June 2021. Registry name: Use of self-management strategies combined with multicomponent training to mitigate the effects of social distancing due to COVID-19 on capacity, physical capacity, mental health and quality of life in older adults - A blind, randomized and controlled clinical trial.

Effects of physical exercise on the cognition of older adults with frailty syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effects of physical exercise on the cognition of community-dwelling older adults with frailty syndrome, through randomized clinical trials. DATA SOURCES: Articles published until March 2020 were searched in the databases Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Lilacs, Cochrane, IEEE, EMBASE, and SciELO. Search terms included frailty, aged, exercise, rehabilitation, and cognition. For the Portuguese language, equivalent terms were used. STUDY SELECTION: Only randomized clinical trials that used physical exercise as an intervention method in community-dwelling older adults (≥ 60y.) with frailty syndrome, and which performed cognitive assessments before and after the intervention were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors performed data extraction using predefined data fields. The risk of bias of the six included studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. DATA SYNTHESIS: In total, 4501 studies were found. After the selection process, 6 studies were included in the systematic review and 4 studies in the meta-analysis, all with a low risk of bias. The studies included 655 community-dwelling older adults with frailty syndrome. The types of intervention varied, with multicomponent physical exercise being the most frequent. The cognitive assessments were diverse, and the Mini-mental State Examination, Trail Making Test forms A and B, and Digit Span test were the most frequently applied. A meta-analysis was performed with Global Cognition and Trail Making Test forms A and B. The data from the meta-analysis showed that physical exercise improves Global Cognition (Mean Difference = 2.26; 95% CI, 0.42 - 4.09; P = 0.02) and mental flexibility (Trail Making Test B) (Mean Difference = -30.45; 95% CI; - 47.72 - -13.19; P = 0.0005). CONCLUSION: Interventions with physical exercise promote benefits in global cognition and mental flexibility of older adults with frailty syndrome.

Complexity of knee extensor torque in patients with frailty syndrome: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty syndrome is characterized by a marked reduction in physiological reserves and a clinical state of vulnerability to stress. Torque complexity analysis could reveal changes in the musculoskeletal systems that are the result of having the syndrome. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the complexity of submaximal isometric knee extensor torque in frail, pre-frail, and non-frail older adults. A secondary aim was to analyze the torque complexity behavior in different force levels in each group. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Forty-two older adults were divided into three groups: non-frail (n=15), pre-frail (n=15), and frail (n=12). The data collected included body composition, five times sit-to-stand test, walking speed, and isometric knee extensor torque at 15, 30, and 40% of maximal voluntary contraction. The knee extensor torque variability was evaluated by coefficient of variation, and the torque complexity was evaluated by approximate entropy and sample entropy. RESULTS: The frail group presented a reduction in body mass and peak torque value compared to the non-frail group. Also, the frail group showed worse physical performance (on the five times sit-to-stand test and walking speed) compared to the pre-frail and non-frail groups. In addition, the frail older adults showed reduced torque complexity compared to the non-frail group. Finally, the association between torque complexity and force levels remained similar in all groups. CONCLUSION: Torque complexity is reduced in the presence of frailty syndrome.

Fisioterapia aquática no aumento da força muscular em idosas com doenças crônicas não transmissíveis: estudo piloto / Aquatic physical therapy in increasing muscle strength in elderly women with noncommunicable diseases: a pilot study

Introdução: A força muscular é um importante componente da aptidão física relacionada à saúde e o seu declínio leva ao aumento do risco de quedas e limitações nas atividades cotidianas, além de influenciar negativamente na percepção da qualidade de vida em idosas com Doenças Crônicas Não Transmissíveis (DCNT). Objetivo: Investigar a influência do programa de treinamento aquático na força muscular e qualidade de vida em idosas com DCNT. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo piloto. Participaram 24 idosas, aleatorizadas e alocadas em dois grupos: GA - Intervenção Aquática (n = 12) e GC - Controle (n = 12). A força muscular foi avaliada por meio do teste de 1RM e a avaliação da qualidade de vida foi realizada pelo questionário WHOQOL-bref. O programa de fisioterapia aquática teve duração de 12 semanas e foi constituído de três componentes: aquecimento; exercícios resistidos e desaquecimento. Resultados: Somente o GA apresentou aumento significativo da força muscular avaliada pelos testes de 1 RM no exercício de supino reto (55,5%) e leg press 45º (58,3%) e no domínio físico de qualidade de vida (9,1%). Conclusão: O programa de fisioterapia aquática, composto de exercícios resistidos, contribui para o aumento da força muscular e melhora da qualidade de vida em idosas com DCNT. (AU)

Introduction: Muscular strength is an important component of physical fitness related to health and its decline leads to an increased risk of falls and limitations in daily activities, as well as negatively influencing the perception of quality of life in older women with Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases (CNCD). Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the aquatic training program on muscle strength and quality of life in older women with CNCD. Methods: This is a pilot study. 24 elderly women were randomized and allocated to two groups: AG - Aquatic Intervention (n = 12) and CG - Control (n = 12). Muscle strength was assessed through the 1RM test and for the quality of life assessment we used the WHOQOL-bref questionnaire. The aquatic physical therapy program lasted 12 weeks and consisted of three components: warm-up; resisted exercises and cool down. Results: Only AG showed a significant increase in muscle strength assessed by 1 RM tests in the bench press exercise (55.5%) and leg press 45o (58.3%) and in the physical quality of life domain (9.1%). Conclusion: We concluded that the aquatic physical therapy program, composed of resistance exercises, contributes to increase muscular strength and improves the quality of life in older women with CNCD. (AU)

Exercise training in older adults, what effects on muscle force control? A systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

AIM: To determine the magnitude of the effects of different exercise training (ET) modalities on variables of muscle force control in older adults. METHODS: Relevant articles were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and Scopus, using the keywords: Aged AND "Exercise Movement Techniques" AND ("Complexity of torque" OR "Complexity of force" OR "Variability of torque" OR "Variability of force" OR "Force Steadiness" OR "Force fluctuations"). To be included in the full analysis, the studies had to be randomized controlled trials in which older adults were submitted to ET programs and muscle force control assessment. RESULTS: The searches resulted in 702 articles from which 6 met all the inclusion criteria. The trials involved 171 healthy and functionally limited older adults (71.64 ± 1.53 years). Studies included resistance, steadiness and functional training programs. Training sessions were 2-3 time per week, lasted 6-16 months with intensities determined as percentage of the one repetition maximum loads. There is a heterogeneity regarding experimental set-up and data analysis parameters between studies. The findings show an improved muscle force control in older adults after ET. Such response is better evidenced by the assessment of the coefficient of variation (CV) of the force signals. There is moderate evidence that resistance training programs are effective to decrease CV of knee extensor force signals at lower force targets. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this review suggest that ET programs are effective to improve muscle force control in older adults.

Effect of aquatic physical therapy on pain perception, functional capacity and quality of life in older people with knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Aquatic therapy promotes short-term benefits for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and it may be the first therapeutic option for this pathological condition. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an aquatic therapy program on pain intensity, functional ability, and quality of life in older people with knee OA. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a parallel, two-arm, open, randomized controlled clinical trial with older people with knee OA. Volunteers will be allocated to an aquatic intervention group (WG), subjected to the intervention, or to a control group, not be subjected to any kind of intervention. Data collection pre- and postintervention will be composed of the evaluation of the perception of pain by visual analogue scale with application of nociceptive stimuli in four anatomical points of the knee, functional fitness tests, and application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale abbreviated version and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. The program will last 12 weeks, consisting of aerobic and functional exercises in the form of circuit training. DISCUSSION: The objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effect of aquatic therapy in elderly patients with knee OA. The study is guided by practice-based scientific evidence for the use of aquatic rehabilitation exercises. It is expected that the WG volunteers will show reduced pain intensity, increased flexibility, and improved functional capacity and quality of life. It is believed that the desired results can be attributed to physical and physiological effects of immersion in warm water associated with the exercise protocol proposed. The data will be published after completion of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) registration number: RBR-78h48d . Registered on 19 August 2015.