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Physical activity and exercise as countermeasures to physical frailty and sarcopenia

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research volume 29, pages 35–42 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

The identification of cost-effective interventions that improve the health status and prevent disability in old age is one of the most important public health challenges. Regular physical activity is the only intervention that has consistently been shown to improve functional health and energy balance and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, several cancers, depression and falls. In advanced age, physical activity is also effective at mitigating sarcopenia, restoring robustness, and preventing/delaying the development of disability. On the other hand, physical inactivity is recognized as one of the leading causes of several chronic degenerative diseases and is also a major contributing factor to sarcopenia and functional disability. This compelling evidence has prompted the World Health Organization to recommend engaging in regular physical activity throughout one’s life course. The present review summarizes the available evidence in support of physical activity as a remedy against physical frailty and sarcopenia. The relevant pathways through which the benefits of physical activity are conveyed are also discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The present work was funded by a grant from the Innovative Medicines Initiative—Joint Undertaking (IMI-JU 115621). The work was also partly supported by the “Centro Studi Achille e Linda Lorenzon” (E.M., R.C.), Fondazione Roma (NCDs Call for Proposals 2013; E.M., R.C.), and intramural research grants from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (D3.2 2013 and D3.2 2015; E.M., F.L., M.T., R.C.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopedics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart School of Medicine, Rome, Italy

    Emanuele Marzetti, Riccardo Calvani, Matteo Tosato, Marianna Broccatelli, Giulia Savera, Mariaelena D’Elia, Roberto Bernabei & Francesco Landi

  2. Gérontopôle, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    Matteo Cesari

  3. Université de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France

    Matteo Cesari

  4. Research Unit of Medicine of Aging, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Mauro Di Bari

  5. Division of Geriatric Cardiology and Medicine, Department of Geriatrics and Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy

    Mauro Di Bari

  6. Geriatrics and Geriatric Emergency Care, IRCCS-INRCA, Ancona, Italy

    Antonio Cherubini

  7. Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Marco Pahor

Authors
  1. Emanuele Marzetti
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  2. Riccardo Calvani
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on behalf of the SPRINTT Consortium

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Correspondence to Emanuele Marzetti or Francesco Landi.

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Conflict of interest

All of the authors are partners of the SPRINTT consortium, which is partly funded by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). E.M. served as a consultant for Huron Consulting Group, Genactis, and Novartis. M.C. served as a consultant for and/or received honoraria for scientific presentations from Nestlé.

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Marzetti, E., Calvani, R., Tosato, M. et al. Physical activity and exercise as countermeasures to physical frailty and sarcopenia. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 35–42 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0705-4

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Keywords

  • Skeletal muscle
  • Physical performance
  • Exercise
  • Resistance training
  • Endurance training