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Klára Daďová,1 Miroslav Petr,2 James J Tufano,2 Lenka Sontáková,2 Eva Krauzová,3,4 Marek Štěpán,3 Michaela Šiklová,3 Michal Šteffl2 1Department of Adapted Physical Education and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Department of Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 3Department of Pathophysiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Královské Vinohrady University Hospital and Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech RepublicCorrespondence: Michal Šteffl, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, J. Martího 31, 162 52 Praha 6, Prague, Czech Republic, Tel +420 778701882, Email steffl@ftvs.cuni.czPurpose: In our study, we examined changes in short-term episodic memory and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in women after an exercise program alone or in combination with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation.Patients and Methods: Fifty-five healthy elderly women (65– 80 years) were randomly split into two groups: in the first group were women attending an exercise program while taking wax esters-rich oil (Calanus) supplementation (n = 28) and in the other group were women undergoing the same exercise program while taking placebo (n = 27). The 16-week exercise program consisted of functional circuit training (twice a week) and Nordic walking lessons (once a week). Short-term episodic memory was evaluated by the Czech screening Test “Pojmenování OBrázků A jejich Vybavení” (POBAV) baseline and after the program lasting 16 weeks.Results: Our results show that short-term memory significantly improved following the exercise program, but there was no added value in using n-3 PUFA supplements. BDNF values did not differ between baseline and follow-up in either group. However, there was a statistically significant positive relationship between relative change (%) in the POBAV test and VO2peak in the placebo group (r = 0.49).Conclusion: Despite the added value of n-3 PUFA supplementation not being proven, our results may strengthen the importance of physical activity in averting age-related memory decline and dementia.Keywords: cognitive function, n-3 PUFA, physical activity, aging, circuit training, Nordic walking

Michal Steffl,1 Richard W Bohannon,2 Lenka Sontakova,1 James J Tufano,1 Kate Shiells,3 Iva Holmerova3 1Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Department of Physical Therapy, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA; 3Faculty of Humanities, Centre of Gerontology, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Abstract: Physical activity (PA) has been identified as beneficial for many diseases and health disorders, including sarcopenia. The positive influence of PA interventions on sarcopenia has been described previously on many occasions. Current reviews on the topic include studies with varied PA interventions for sarcopenia; nevertheless, no systematic review exploring the effects of PA in general on sarcopenia has been published. The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between PA and sarcopenia in older people on the basis of cross-sectional and cohort studies. We searched PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect for articles addressing the relationship between PA and sarcopenia. Twenty-five articles were ultimately included in the qualitative and quantitative syntheses. A statistically significant association between PA and sarcopenia was documented in most of the studies, as well as the protective role of PA against sarcopenia development. Furthermore, the meta-analysis indicated that PA reduces the odds of acquiring sarcopenia in later life (odds ratio [OR] =0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37–0.55). The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis confirm the beneficial influence of PA in general for the prevention of sarcopenia. Keywords: aging, sarcopenia, physical activity