Associations between Exercise, Dietary Quality, and Nutrient Intake with Sarcopenia and Obesity in Community-dwelling Older Adults: Baseline Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Sarcopenic obesity (SO) combines low muscle mass and strength with high body fat. Few studies have examined how modifiable lifestyle factors relate to SO parameters as continuous variables. This study investigated the independent roles of physical exercise, dietary quality, and nutrient intakes in relation to SO parameters among community-dwelling older adults with SO. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using baseline data from a four-armed randomized controlled trial. Data from 280 older adults with SO were analyzed. Sarcopenia was assessed through handgrip strength, skeletal muscle mass index, and physical performance via the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and body fat percentage (BF%). Dietary intake was estimated from three-day dietary recalls, and diet quality was assessed using the Dietary Quality International-Index (DQI-I). Physical exercise was quantified by session duration. Results The results showed that: 1) longer exercise sessions were associated with stronger handgrip strength, better SPPB, and lower BF% and waist circumference; 2) the total DQI-I score was inversely associated with BMI, while the DQI-I variety index was inversely associated with BMI, waist circumference, and BF%; 3) obesity measures were inversely related to intakes of vitamin D, calcium, and iron, and positively associated with sodium intake; 4) sarcopenia measures were positively associated with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids intakes. Conclusions Modifiable lifestyle factors, including exercise, dietary quality, and nutrient intake, may contribute to mitigating SO in community-dwelling older adults. Trial registration : US Clinical Trials Registry, NCT05734755 (Registration date: February 9, 2023)