Dietary supplements and physical exercise affecting bone and body composition in frail elderly persons

Abstract

Objectives. This study determined the effect of enriched foods and all- around physical exercise on bone and body composition in frail elderly persons. Methods: A 17-week randomized, controlled intervention trial, following a 2x2 factorial design - (1) enriched foods, (2) exercise; (3) both, or (4) neither - was performed in 143 frail elderly persons (aged 78.6±5.6 years). Foods were enriched with multiple micronutrients; exercises focused on skill training, including strength, endurance, coordination, and flexibility. Main outcome parameters were bone and body composition. Results. Exercise preserved lean mass (mean difference between exercisers and nonexercisers: 0.5 kg ± 1.2 kg; P