Are exercise benefits in older adults clinically meaningful?: An ancillary and follow-up analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial
In brief
Three-month home exercise improves walking ability in 67% of adults over 75
In a randomized trial of 75-year-plus patients with mild cognitive impairment, 67% of those who did a 3-month multicomponent home program achieved a clinically meaningful gain in the short physical performance battery, versus 30% of controls. Overall, 89% showed improvement in at least one domain, but benefits were limited to mobility, with no clear gains in strength, cognition, mood, or daily function.
- Journal
- GeroScience (Q1)
- Published
- 3 August 2026
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Pedro L Valenzuela, Ángel Buendía-Romero, Iván Antón-Rodrigo, Juan Luis Sánchez-Sánchez, Álvaro Casas-Herrero
- PMID
- 42545663
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11357-026-02431-4
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (top studies of the week, 9 August 2026): Exercise trial, not CAM focus
Abstract
Physical exercise is beneficial for older adults, but little is known about inter-individual response variability or whether its effects reach clinical significance. We analyzed individual clinically meaningful responses to exercise in older adults. This is an ancillary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial. 188 older patients (> 75 years) with mild cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to a 3-month home-based multicomponent exercise intervention (3-5 days/week based on Vivifrail program) or to a control group. Clinically meaningful responses were assessed for functional ability (≥ 5 points in Barthel Index) as well as for the locomotion (≥ 1 point in the short physical performance battery [SPPB]), cognition (≥ 3 points in the mini-mental state examination [MSSE]), psychology (≥ 2 points in the Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]), and vitality domains (≥ 1 kg in handgrip strength) of intrinsic capacity. A total of 72 and 46 participants were included in the analyses for the control and intervention group, respectively. Most participants in the exercise group (89.1%) showed clinically meaningful responses to at least one outcome (OR = 4.82 [95%CI = 1.56-14.88], p = 0.006 vs. controls). Specifically, participants in the exercise group were more likely to respond to the SPPB than controls (67.4 vs 30.0%; OR = 5.05 [1.96-13.01]; p = 0.001), but no differences between groups were found for GDS, MMSE, handgrip strength, or Barthel Index (response rate for all < 40%, p > 0.05). In summary, a 3-month exercise intervention induces clinically meaningful benefits in most older adults, although these benefits are mostly restricted to the locomotion domain. Research is warranted to determine the individuals' and interventions' characteristics that maximize responsiveness.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.