A 12-Week Multimodal Exercise Program Combining Baduanjin and Resistance-Band Training Improves Muscle Health in Older Adults With Sarcopenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Multimodal exercise is recommended for sarcopenia, but feasible community-based programs that integrate functional and muscle-mass outcomes remain insufficiently tested. METHODS: We conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial in 80 adults aged 60-84 years with sarcopenia, allocated 1:1:1:1 to Baduanjin group (BDJ), resistance-band training group (RBG), multimodal exercise group (MME), or an older control group (OC); 65 completed follow-up. Exercise groups completed a 30-min core intervention five times weekly. Primary outcomes were gait speed (GS) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB); secondary outcomes were maximum grip strength (MGS), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), and exploratory regional lean mass. RESULTS: Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for GS and SPPB (both p ≤ 0.001). GS declined in OC but improved only in MME; at Week 12, all exercise groups exceeded OC. SPPB improved in all exercise groups, with BDJ and MME higher than OC at Week 12. For secondary outcomes, the interaction was significant for ASMI but not MGS. MME increased MGS within group, whereas RBG and MME increased ASMI. Exploratory analyses suggested greater lower-limb lean-mass gains after MME than after OC or BDJ, with no clear advantage over RBG. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-week program combining Baduanjin with resistance-band training may provide a feasible community strategy for improving functional performance and muscle health in older adults with sarcopenia. These findings should be interpreted in light of the modest sample, short duration, lack of longer follow-up, and limitations in body composition assessment; longer trials using more precise measures are needed.

Abstract as published, via PubMed.