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This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of remote physical exercise (PE) to prevent mobility loss among pre-disabled older adults during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Participants followed a 12-week PE remote program in Zoom© supervised groups (Web-Ex group, n=11) or phone-supervised individual booklet-based home-program (Booklet group, n=33). The total rate of adherence was 82.5% in the Web-Ex group and 85.8% in the Booklet group. The level of satisfaction was « a lot » for 60% of the participants in the Web-ex group and for 37.9% of those included in the Booklet group. Respectively 10% and 31% of the participants rated the difficulty as « low » in the web-ex and Booklet groups. Remote physical exercise using a web technology or booklets at home with regular and personalized follow-up during the lockdown was feasible and acceptable among pre-disabled seniors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing leads to a progressive loss of muscle function (MF) and quality (MQ: muscle strength (MS)/lean muscle mass (LM)). Power training and protein (PROT) supplementation have been proposed as efficient interventions to improve MF and MQ. Discrepancies between results appear to be mainly related to the type and/or dose of proteins used. The present study aimed at determining whether or not mixed power training (MPT) combined with fast-digested PROT (F-PROT) leads to greater improvements in MF and MQ in elderly men than MPT combined with slow-digested PROT (S-PROT) or MPT alone. Sixty elderly men (age 69 (sd 7) years; BMI 18–30 kg/m2) were randomised into three groups: (1) placebo + MPT (PLA; n 19); (2) F-PROT + MPT (n 21) and (3) S-PROT + MPT (n 20) completed the intervention. LM, handgrip and knee extensor MS and MQ, functional capacity, serum metabolic markers, skeletal muscle characteristics, dietary intake and total energy expenditure were measured. The interventions consisted in 12 weeks of MPT (3 times/week; 1 h/session) combined with a supplement (30 g:10 g per meal) of F-PROT (whey) or S-PROT (casein) or a placebo. No difference was observed among groups for age, BMI, number of steps and dietary intake pre- and post-intervention. All groups improved significantly their LM, lower limb MS/MQ, functional capacity, muscle characteristics and serum parameters following the MPT. Importantly, no difference between groups was observed following the MPT. Altogether, adding 30 g PROT/d to MPT, regardless of the type, does not provide additional benefits to MPT alone in older men ingesting an adequate (i.e. above RDA) amount of protein per d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on feasibility and effect of Implementing Physical Activity Program Implementation During COVID-19 in Hospitalized Positive COVID-19 Older Adults. Topics discussed include this program, carried out independently by the patients seemed to be suited to period of over-work of health care professional and the containment conditions of infected patients; and MATCH program will be acceptable and may counteract physical and mental decline.

Objectives: To explore the feasibility and acceptability of a new home-based exercise technology among older adults and to evaluate its efficacy on physical performance measures. Design: Longitudinal clinical trial. Setting: Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, a nursing home located in Gainesville, Florida. Participants: Twelve pre-disabled older adults (≥75 years) living in a nursing home with a Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score between 6 and 9 and no diagnosis of dementia. Intervention: Thirty minutes of light intensity exercise (aerobic, strength and balance) two times per week for four weeks using a home-based physical activity technology called Jintronix. Measurements: Feasibility and acceptability were assessed through a 9-item self-administered questionnaire and by exploring the percentage of quality of movements and time performing exercise which was calculated automatically by Jintronix technology. Physical performance measures were assessed through the SPPB score at baseline, after 4 weeks of intervention and after 3 months from the completion of the intervention. Results: Twelve older adults (80.5±4.2 years old) performed light intensity exercise with Jintronix for a total of 51.9±7.9 minutes per week. Participants reached 87% score of quality of movements in strength and balance exercises, a global appreciation score of 91.7% and a global difficulty score of 36%. Compared to baseline, there was a significant improvement in SPPB score at the end of the intervention and at 3 months following the completion of the exercise program (0.67±0.98 and 1.08±0.99 respectively, p-value <0.05). Conclusion: Jintronix technology is feasible and acceptable among pre-disabled older adults without dementia living in nursing home and is beneficial in improving their physical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In older adults, multidomain training that includes physical and cognitive activities has been associated with improvement of physical and cognitive health. The goal of the multisite StayFitLonger study is to assess a home-based computerised training programme, which combines physical exercises, stimulating cognitive activities and virtual coaching.Methods: One hundred twenty-eight cognitively healthy older adults will be recruited from the community in Switzerland, Canada and Belgium. The study will comprise (1) a 26-week double-blind randomized controlled efficacy trial and (2) a 22-week pragmatic adherence sub-study. In the efficacy trial, participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental or an active control intervention. In the experimental intervention, participants will use the StayFitLonger programme, which is computerised on a tablet and provides content that combines physical activities with a focus on strength and balance, as well as divided attention, problem solving and memory training. Outcomes will be measured before and after 26 weeks of training. The primary efficacy outcome will be performance on the "Timed-Up & Go" test. Secondary outcomes will include measures of frailty, cognition, mood, fear of falling, quality of life, and activities of daily living. Age, sex, education, baseline cognition, expectation, and adherence will be used as moderators of efficacy. Following the 26-week efficacy trial, all participants will use the experimental programme meaning that participants in the control group will 'cross over' to receive the StayFitLonger programme for 22 weeks. Adherence will be measured in both groups based on dose, volume and frequency of use. In addition, participants' perception of the programme and its functionalities will be characterised through usability, acceptability and user experience.Discussion: This study will determine the efficacy, adherence and participants' perception of a home-based multidomain intervention programme and its functionalities. This will allow for further development and possible commercialization of a scientifically validated training programme.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04237519 Registered on January 22, 2020 - Retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the revised European consensus on sarcopenia, muscle strength is the primary parameter of sarcopenia and is associated with adverse outcomes or physical limitation. This literature review aims to clarify how and why to measure and preserve muscle strength in older population. Overall, the relationship between muscle strength and physical function is impacted by level of muscle mass, the degree of obesity (BMI), age and physical activity. Therefore, these factors are to be considered in the evaluation of muscle strength. It is necessary to have objective, reliable and sensitive tools to assess muscle strength, in different populations to detect and quantify weakness, to adapt physical exercises to patients' capacity and to evaluate the effects of treatment. Handgrip strength measurement might be reasonable for clinical practice while the measurement of knee flexors/extensors strength with both 1RM and dynamometers is increasingly important yet restricted by the requirement of special equipment. Physical activity and nutrition are two important behavioral factors to maintain muscle strength. Combined exercise and nutrition interventions improved muscle strength to a more prominent degree than exercise or nutrition alone. • Overall, the relationship between muscle strength and physical function is impacted by level of muscle mass, the degree of obesity (BMI), age and physical activity. • It is necessary to have objective, reliable and sensitive tools to assess muscle strength. • Physical activity and nutrition are two important behavioral factors to maintain muscle strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Normal aging is often associated with a decline of muscle mass (MM), strength (MS) and quality (MQ: MS/MM), leading to functional incapacities. This aging-related deterioration of muscles may involve a decreased protein intake. Mixed power training has been recently shown to induce positive effects on MM, MS and MQ. However, to our knowledge, no study has examined if muscle adaptations following mixed power training could be influenced by the daily amount of protein ingested in elderly men. Methods Twenty-one men completed the intervention and were divided into 2 groups based on their usual protein intake: PROT 1.1− (<1.1 g·kg −1 ·d −1 [n = 10; 73 ± 3 years]) and PROT 1.2+ (>1.2 g·kg −1 ·d −1 [n = 11; 73 ± 3 years]). Body composition (DXA: lean and fat masses), MS (1-maximal repetition on leg-press and handgrip strength), MQ (MS/body mass and MS/lower limb lean mass), functional capacities (Short Physical Performance Battery/Senior Fitness Test), dietary intake (3-day food record) and energy expenditure (accelerometer; 7 days) were measured. Mixed power training intervention consisted in power and functional exercises (12 weeks; 3 times/week; 1 h/session). Results Lower limb MS increase in the PROT 1.2+ group was greater from that of the PROT 1.1− group when normalized to lower limbs lean mass ( p  = 0.036). In addition, a trend for greater gain in lower limb MS normalized to body mass ( p  = 0.053) was observed in the PROT 1.2+. Conclusion To optimize mixed power training effects on muscle function, healthy older men should ingest daily at least 1.2 g·kg −1 ·d −1 of protein. These beneficial effects of a higher usual protein intake were observed especially for MQ, which is one of the best predictors of functional capacities in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]