Health
Older folks who diet without exercising lose muscle mass
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 13, 2008
A physical activity program, with or without food reduction, may be healthy for the elderly, according to a study in the September Journal of Applied Physiology.
Researchers randomized 64 volunteers with an average age of 67 and a mean body mass index of about 31, to 16 weeks of dieting, exercise training or both. All participants lost weight. Those who did not engage in exercise lost more lean muscle mass.
The authors are calling for additional research to investigate if the findings translate to improvements in cardiometabolic risk or improved function as people age.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/10/13/hlbf1013.htm.