Do the duration and frequency of physical activity affect the indicator of sarcopenia in older adult?

ABSTRACT Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and associated with adverse health outcomes in older adults. Physical activity has been pointed out as an important tool for its prevention. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship of sedentary lifestyle, duration and frequency of physical activity with the indicator of sarcopenia in older adults. Five hundred and fifty-one physically active older adults enrolled in senior fitness centers of Maringá (PR) participated in this cross-sectional study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the SARC-F were the instruments used. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, Spearman correlation coefficient and the Structural Equation Analysis (p<0.05). Results showed that older adults participated in mild to moderate physical activities weekly, but not vigorous ones, besides exhibiting low sarcopenia indicators. Structural Equations analysis revealed that the variables of mild and moderate activity presented a significant (p<0.05) and negative correlations with the sarcopenia indicators score, however weak (β<0.20), explaining its 7% variability. It was concluded that the practice of mild and moderate physical activity affect sarcopenia indicators in older people.