Outcome of Exercise With a Towel in Elderly With Sarcopenia

As the proportion of older adults increases, elderly-related issues attract more attention. Sarcopenia is one of the popular elderly-related issues. Sarcopenia may induce decreased muscle strength, poor physical activity, even disability and increase rate of hospitalization and mortality. Therefore, we want to figure out the management for decreasing prevalence of sarcopenia in older adults. This trial is planned to perform during 2017/08/01\~2017/12/31. We plan to enroll 60 elderlies who are sarcopenia. These patient will be divided into 2 group randomize. Experimental group will be received a set of exercise, composed by warm-up, strengthening training with a towel, cold-down, 60 minutes per time, 3 times per week. Control group will be suggested home-based walking activity. We will evaluate the patient's functional performance three times, before training, after training, post-training for three months, respectively. These results will be analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA.

As the proportion of older adults increases, elderly-related issues attract more attention. Sarcopenia is one of the popular elderly-related issues. Skeletal muscle is an important component for sustaining physical activity and storing protein. Protein of skeletal muscle is used as energy substrates in cases of starvation or under stress. As being aging, physical condition degenerates gradually. Older adults usually have multiple chronic diseases. Lesser physical function results in less physical activity. As a result, more muscle mass would be lost. In previous study, after the age of 50 year-old, muscle mass decreases 1-2% per year. The velocity of muscle mass decline increases after the age of 60 year-old. Sarcopenia may induce decreased muscle strength, poor physical activity, even disability and increase rate of hospitalization and mortality. Therefore, we want to figure out the management for decreasing prevalence of sarcopenia in older adults.

Exercise is an important method for preventing sarcopenia. In this study, we intend to design a set of exercise which is easily performed for older adults and also has preventing muscle mass loss effect. Towel is an important tool for exercise.

Duration to execute is during 2017/08/01\~2017/12/31. We randomize these 60 older adults into 2 groups (experimental group and control group) and there are 30 older adults in each group. Those older adults are age above 65 year-old, have lower grip strength and slower walking speed. One assistant who doesn't know which group these older adults belonged to would record their basic information and is responsible for the evaluation. We will evaluate the older adults' functional performance three times, before training, after training, post-training for three months, respectively.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. age above 65 y/o
2. low muscle mass (male\<7.0 kg/m2, female\<5.4kg/m2, tested by Dual energy X-ray Absorptiometry)
3. with or without low grip strength (male\< 26 kg, female \<18 kg)
4. with or without low walk speed (≤ 0.8 m/s).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. cognitive impairment or can't follow order appropriately
2. elderlies with medical problems that they can't perform the exercise program