A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Resistance Training on Quality of Life, Depression, Muscle Strength, and Functional Exercise Capacity in Older Adults Aged 60 Years or More

Background Aging is generally associated with numerous metabolic and physical changes that augment susceptibility to several chronic conditions, disability, and diminished quality of life. Objective The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy of resistance training on quality of life, depression, muscle strength, and functional exercise capacity in older adults (≥60 years). Data sources A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Scopus up to December 20, 2021. Results 21 studies ( N = 1610) were included. Resistance training significantly improved physical functioning (standard mean differences (SMD), 0.31; p = 0.02), mental health (SMD, 0.44; p = 0.001), bodily pain (SMD, −0.52; p = 0.004), general health (SMD, 0.43; p = 0.002), social functioning (SMD, 0.25; p = 0.006), and mental component score (SMD, 0.51; p = 0.001) subscales. Moreover, depression (SMD, −1.13; p = 0.01), upper-limb muscle strength (mean difference (MD), 15.26 kg; p = 0.002), lower-limb muscle strength (MD, 48.46 kg; p = 0.02), and handgrip muscle strength (MD, 1.35 kg; p = 0.003) significantly improved following resistance training. No benefits were found for vitality, physical component score, total score of quality of life, and the 6-min walk distance. Conclusion Preliminary evidence reveals that resistance training can be effective for improving most domains of quality of life, upper- and lower-limb muscle strength, handgrip strength, and depression in aged people. More proof is hence needed to draw solid conclusions.