Impact of Physical Activity On Sarcopenia-Literature Review

Background: The consequences of sarcopenia are reflected in poor physical performance and quality of life and represent a major financial burden on healthcare systems. The purpose of this literature review was to present evidence of the impact of exercise on the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. Methods: The following databases were included in the review: PEDro, PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Emerald, and COBISS. The keywords in the literature search were: “sarcopenia”, “exercise”, “training”, “physical activity” and “activity”. In the final analysis, I included articles published from 2015 onwards, written in English, with research conducted in Europe, without dietary interventions and whose assessment according to the PEDro scale is at least 5/10. I performed the source analysis with open coding. Results: 7 research articles were included in the final analysis. After a detailed analysis of the articles, I created a total of 54 codes, and divided them into 3 content categories. According to the hierarchy of evidence in scientific research, two studies belonged to level 2 and five to level 4. Discussion: Increased physical activity reduces the risk of sarcopenia. Exercise has a positive effect on body composition, muscle function, physical performance and quality of life of sarcopenic patients.