Effect Size of Dietary Supplementation and Physical Exercise Interventions for Sarcopenia in Middle-Aged Women

Abstract

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively analyze the relationship between intervention (dietary supplementation and physical exercise), body composition, and physical activity capacity in middle-aged women with sarcopenia. A total of 19 studies published in the last ten years were selected. The overall effect size was small (0.29; 95% confidence interval: 0.195∼0.385). The Q value was 100.214 and the Higgin’s I2 value was 82.038. Each study was found to be heterogeneous and there was no publication bias. The effect size was increased when the number of study participants increased from 50 to 100 and when dietary vitamin D supplementation was combined with resistance exercise. Furthermore, the effect on physical activity capacity was higher than that on body composition. In conclusion, dietary vitamin D supplementation combined with resistance training had a positive impact on middle-aged women with sarcopenia.