Effect of 8 weeks badminton session on cardiovascular and neuromuscular functions among older adults in United Arab Emirates: a quasi-experimental study [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Background Older adults (40-70 years) are the most susceptible age group for developing cardiovascular, and neuromuscular disorders due to a lack of physical activities. The engagement of older adults in physical activities such as badminton can improve their neuromuscular function. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the effects of badminton on cardiovascular & neuromuscular function among older adults with and without non-communicable diseases in the United Arab Emirates. Methods A total of 120 participants were recruited and divided into three groups: Two interventional groups which consisted of participants with non-communicable disease (WCN, N=40), and participants without the non-communicable disease (WICN, n=40), and one non-interventional group (NIC) as healthy control participants. Groups with and without non-communicable diseases engaged in badminton (45-60 minutes per session, thrice a week for two months) as per the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results The findings of the study indicated that there was a significant improvement in cardiovascular and many neuromuscular variables within and between the groups (p≤0.05) with maximum changes in participants with non-communicable diseases. Conclusions Engagement in sports like badminton can help to overcome the non-communicable disease burden. The immediate impact can be seen with the introduction of such interventional sports activities on a larger scale. Since the improvement was seen to be much better in the participants with non- communicable diseases, it could help to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases. Clinical Trial Registry, India registration REF/2022/02/051455 (08/02/2022)