Dose-Response Relationships of Resistance Training in elderly with sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives : This study aimed to quantify the impact of resistance training on muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical function in elderly individuals with sarcopenia and to investigate the dose‒response relationships between resistance training andgrip strength, the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and the short physical performance battery (SPPB). Design : We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. Data sources : A comprehensive search was performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WANFANG databases. Eligibility criteria for study selection: We included randomized controlled trials of resistance training in sarcopenic patients aged 60 years or older who reported at least one measure of muscle strength. Results : Resistance training significantly increasedgrip strength (SMD = 0.58) and short physical performance battery (SPPB) scores (SMD = 0.56) but had a small effect on the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) (SMD = 0.24). The dose‒response analysis of resistance training parameters indicated that the duration and frequency of training moderately influenced grip strength. A training period of 24 weeks (SMD = 0.844) and a frequency of two sessions per week (SMD = 0.733) were most effective for enhancing grip strength. Conclusions : Our meta-analysis confirms the efficacy of resistance training in enhancing grip strength, the SMI, and SPPB in elderly individuals with sarcopenia. The dose‒response relationships suggest that training frequency, number of sets, and repetitions are crucial for improving these outcomes. It is recommended that sarcopenic individuals engage in a resistance training program consisting of 2–3 sessions per week, with each session including 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions.