Functional and Physiological Responses to Multicomponent Exercise in Older Adults

Functional and Physiological Responses to a 12-Week Multicomponent Exercise Program in Older Adults: An Exploratory Responder-Non-Responder Analysis

This study will examine functional and physiological responses to a 12-week multicomponent exercise program in community-dwelling older adults. Adults aged 60 to 81 years will be randomly assigned to either a multicomponent exercise group or a control group. The supervised exercise program will be performed twice weekly for 12 weeks and will include aerobic walking, resistance exercises, balance and agility training, flexibility exercises, and cool-down activities. Functional performance will be assessed using the six-minute walk test, the 30-second chair stand test, and the 8-Foot Up and Go test at baseline and after 12 weeks. Resting cardiac autonomic function will be assessed using heart rate variability. In addition, an exploratory responder-non-responder analysis will be conducted to examine whether baseline heart rate variability is associated with individual functional adaptations following the exercise program. This study may help identify physiological markers related to functional responsiveness to exercise in older adults.

Inclusion Criteria:

• being 60 years of age or older,
• being able to walk independently,
• not having any serious cardiovascular, neurological, or musculoskeletal disease that would prevent exercise.
• do not use medications that may affect autonomic nervous system function
• Participants with controlled hypertension who were using stable routine medication were eligible, provided that the screening physician considered them medically suitable for exercise participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia,
• uncontrolled hypertension,
• use of medications that may affect autonomic nervous system function,
• inability to perform functional performance tests.
• Uncontrolled hypertension. Regular medication use was reviewed during medical screening. Participants were excluded when a medication or its adverse effects were considered to substantially compromise exercise safety, cardiac rhythm, or the ability to complete the exercise and assessment procedures.