# Effects of Exercise on Frailty in Older People Based on ACSM Recommendations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

## TL;DR

This study reviews how following exercise guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine affects frailty in older adults, finding that higher guideline adherence leads to better outcomes in some measures.

## Contribution

The study evaluates the effectiveness of exercise interventions aligned with ACSM recommendations on frailty outcomes in older people using a meta-analysis.

## Key findings

- Exercise interventions with high consistency to ACSM recommendations showed significant improvements in frailty measures FP and GS.
- No significant differences were found in SPPB and BMI outcomes between high and low consistency subgroups.
- The study highlights limitations such as a small number of studies and variability in participant adherence.

## Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the study was to carry out an analysis of the methodological quality of clinical trials (effects of exercise on frailty in older people) based on ACSM recommendations. Methods: The search scope included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and literature that cannot be retrieved from the database. The topic was the impact of exercise on frailty in elderly people. Changes in five outcome measures (FP, BI, SPPB, GS, and BMI) were assessed using mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A random effects model (RE) was used to conduct a meta-analysis and compare the results between subgroups. Results: The intervention effects of exercise on the five outcome indicators of frailty in elderly people were all significant (p < 0.05). The effect of a high-consistency subgroup on outcome indicators FP and GS was more significant than that of the low- or uncertain-consistency subgroup (MD: −1.09 < −0.11, MD: 2.39 >1.1). There was no significant difference in the intervention effect as reflected in the outcome measures SPPB and BMI in the high-consistency subgroup (p = 0.07, p = 0.34). There was no significant difference in the impact of the intervention on the outcome measure BI between the two subgroups (p = 0.06, p = 0.14). Conclusions: Exercise prescriptions with high consistency with ACSM recommendations may be more effective in both FP and GS interventions than those with uncertain or low consistency. However, it is essential to note that the data derived from the meta-analysis is still subject to the small number of studies, the unknown degree of consistency of participants in individual studies, and the different mix of cases in the studies.