Effects of a multicomponent training and detraining on frailty status, physical activity level, sedentary behavior patterns and physical performance of pre-frail older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a multicomponent training protocol and detraining on frailty status, physical activity level, sedentary behavior patterns, and physical performance in pre-frail older adults. METHODS: A randomized controlled blinded trial was conducted with pre-frail older adults (74.8 ± 6.4 years, 70.4% female), who were allocated to receive a multicomponent training (MulTI = 16) or control group (CG = 11), which received guidance to maintain their daily living habits. Assessments of the frailty phenotype, physical activity levels measured by accelerometer, and physical performance (gait speed, timed up and go, short physical performance battery) were conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention (16 weeks), and follow-up (6 weeks). The effect of the intervention was analyzed using the marginal homogeneity test and the two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. RESULTS: All older adults who received the MulTI reversed their frailty status to non-frail (p < 0.001), and after follow-up, 87.5% remained non-frail. In the CG, one older adult reversed their frailty status to non-frail and another became frail (p > 0.05), maintaining this status after the follow-up period. Furthermore, only the older adults in the MulTI showed an improvement in gait speed post-intervention, which was maintained through follow-up (p = 0.008). No changes were observed in the other variables. CONCLUSION: The MulTI was efficient to reverse the process of frailty and improving gait speed in pre-frail older adults. However, receiving only the MulTI was not sufficient to increase physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behavior patterns, necessitating the implementation of behavioral change strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03110419.

Effects of the Addition of a Dual Task to a Supervised Physical Exercise Program on Older Adults' Cognitive Performance.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the addition of a dual task to multicomponent training on cognition of active older adults. Eighty physically active older adults were divided into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). Both groups performed multicomponent training over 12 weeks. The IG simultaneously performed exercises and cognitive tasks. The Mini-Mental State Examination, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Clock Drawing Test were used for cognitive assessments. The Timed Up and Go Test associated with a cognitive task was used for dual-task assessment. Significant interactions were not observed between groups in terms of the cognitive variables or the dual-task performance. An interaction was observed only for Timed Up and Go Test performance, which was better in the CG than in the IG. Active older adults showed no improvement in cognition following the addition of the dual task to the multicomponent training.