Longitudinal Changes in the Body Composition of Non-Institutionalized Spanish Older Adults after 8 Years of Follow-Up: The Effects of Sex, Age, and Organized Physical Activity

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 2; p. 298
• Main Authors: Moradell, Ana, Gomez-Cabello, Alba, Mañas, Asier, Gesteiro, Eva, Pérez-Gómez, Jorge, González-Gross, Marcela, Casajús, Jose Antonio, Ara, Ignacio, Vicente-Rodríguez, Germán
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-01-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Analysis; Anthropometry; Body Composition; Diet; Electric Impedance; Exercise; fat mass; Female; Humans; Male; muscle mass; obesity; Older people; Physical fitness; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Questionnaires; sarcopenia; Sedentary behavior; Spain; muscle mass; exercise; obesity; fat mass; sarcopenia
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16020298

Aging leads to physiological changes affecting body composition, mediated by lifestyle. However, the effectiveness of organized physical activities (OPAs) in attenuating or delaying these age-related transformations remains an area of limited understanding. The primary objectives of this study were threefold: (I) to comprehensively assess the evolution of body composition in a cohort of Spanish older adults over an 8-year period; (II) to compare this evolution in the different age groups; and (III) to investigate the influence of active engagement in OPAs on these age-related changes. From a sample of 3136 Spanish older adults recruited in 2008, 651 agreed to participate in the 8-year follow-up. Anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance data were included for 507 females (70.3 ± 4.4 years) and 144 males (77.8 ± 4.5 years). Age groups were categorized as follows: youngest (65-69 years), mid (70-74 years), and oldest (≥75 years). The engagement in OPA was recorded before and after the follow-up. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to evaluate the 8-year changes. Males increased in hip (98.1 ± 9.3 vs. 101.5 ± 10.2 cm) and waist circumferences (101.2 ± 6.6 vs. 103.2 ± 6.1 cm), specifically in the youngest group (
< 0.05). Females decreased in weight (67.6 ± 10.0 vs. 66.6 ± 10.5 kg) and fat mass percentage (39.3 ± 5 vs. 38.8 ± 5.4%) and increased in hip circumference (104.4 ± 9.0 vs. 106.5 ± 9.7 cm); these effects were the most remarkable in the oldest group (all
< 0.05). OPA engagement seemed to slow down fat-free mass loses in males, but not in females (grouped by time,
< 0.05). Body composition changes caused by aging seem to happen earlier in males than in females. Moreover, participating in OPAs does not prevent fat-free mass due to aging.