Sex impacts the relation between body composition and physical function in older adults

Abstract

Objective-To determine the sex-specific relationships between physical activity, aerobic fitness, adiposity (%Fat), mineral-free lean mass (MFLM) and balance and gait performance in older adults.Design-Eighty-five female and 49 male sedentary, healthy, community-dwelling older adults (M ±SD; 69.6±5.4 and 70.3±4.7 years, respectively) were evaluated on habitual physical activity via questionnaire, aerobic fitness by a maximal oxygen consumption treadmill test, whole and regional body composition by DXA, and lower-extremity physical function (LEPF) using gait tasks and computerized dynamic posturography.Results-As expected, males had less body fat, more lean mass and higher aerobic fitness than females, and tended to perform better on all LEPF tasks (all p≤0.1). Physical activity was not related to gait; however, fitness was related to gait in both sexes (r>0.50, all p<0.05). Body fat was related to gait in women (r=−0.38, p<0.05) but not men. Neither fitness nor body composition was related to balance in men, whereas in women leg MFLM was positively associated (r=0.27, p<0.05). Women, but not men, with a greater body weight to leg MFLM ratio performed worse on gait tasks (p<0.001).There was an interaction with sex for %Fat on gait (p=0.05), and for MFLM LEG on balance (p<0.05).Conclusions-In sedentary healthy older adults the relation between body composition, aerobic fitness and balance and gait differs between sexes such that women are more strongly impacted by alterations in body composition. Lower %Fat and preservation of lower body lean mass have important implications for reducing the risk of physical disability, especially in older women.

Cardiometabolic risk in overweight subjects with or without relative fat-free mass deficiency: The Strong Heart Study

“…A possible explanation is related to the different body composition between genders since females with RFFMD had a definitely greater central adipose mass with similar muscle mass than RFFMD− females, whereas males with RFFMD showed a remarkable loss of the FFM compared to RFFMD− males. This is in line with the finding of less FFM in females, both in physiological and trained conditions (27–28) and with some resistance of females to increase their lean body mass under GH replacement therapy, compared with males (29). Being RFFMD in overweight/obesity a condition of altered body composition, it is reasonable that, due to the different hormonal milieu, this relative sarcopenia can occur more frequently in women, who in fact exhibit greater BMI and waist girth, reflecting a severe degree of central obesity.…”

Effect of 3-Month Water-Exercise Program on Body Composition in Elderly Women

“…These results were similar and congruent with studies carried out previously in elderly adults, were physical exercise programs, during which the subjects are active for less than 30 minutes, three times a week, lead to small, or no changes in body mass and body composition (Valentine et al, 2009).…”

Muscle strength in the oldest old and associated factors

“…Hormonal differences, especially higher levels of testosterone and higher muscle mass observed in men, as well as higher levels of body fat in women, explain this difference (VALENTINE et al, 2009) in favor of men. Although men present a more pronounced reduction in muscular function with the advancement of age, in absolute terms this function is better than in women of all ages (DITROILO et al, 2010).…”

“…Cross-ssectional (BARBOSA et. al., 2005;BARBOSA et al, 2011;FREDERIKSEN et al, 2006;LING et al, 2010) and longitudinal (FREDERIKSEN et al, 2006;LING et al, 2010) data indicate that there is a reduction in muscular strength with the advancing age, and this reduction is different for lower and upper limbs (VALENTINE et al, 2009). In elderly individuals, lowest level of muscular strength can affect the ability to perform daily motor tasks and/or the intensity of such activities (DEN OUDEN et al, 2011), resulting in dependence and reduced quality of life.…”