Physical exercise and/or enriched foods for functional improvement in frail, independently living elderly: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To examine the effects of an exercise program and an enriched fo od regimen on physical functioning of frail elderly persons. Design: A 17-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Community. Participants: One hundred fifty-seven independently living frail elderly (m ean age, 78.7 +/- 5.6yr). Intervention: Thirty-nine subjects participated in a twice weekly group exe rcise designed to improve daily functioning; 39 subjects daily ate foods en riched with vitamins and minerals (at 25%-100% of the recommended daily all owances); 42 subjects exercised and ate enriched foods; and 37 subjects ser ved as controls. Nonexercising groups followed a social program; nonsupplem ent groups received the same food products without the micronutrients. Main Outcome Measures: Functional performance based on 6 performance tests, physical fitness based on 7 fitness tests, and disabilities based on the s elf-reported ability to perform 16 daily activities. Results: Performance sum scores were significantly enhanced in trained (+8% ) compared with nontrained subjects (-8%) (difference in change: 1.9 points , p < .001, adjusted for baseline scores). Fitness sum scores were signific antly enhanced as well (+3% in trained vs -2% in nontrained) (difference in change: 0.9 points, p = .05, adjusted for baseline scores). No exercise ef fects on the disability score were observed. Consumption of enriched produc ts did not affect performance, fitness, or disability scores. Conclusion: Our comprehensive exercise program, designed for widespread app licability, enhanced physical performance acid fitness in a population of f rail elderly. Daily consumption of micronutrient enriched foods showed no f unctional benefits within 17 weeks. (C) 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Americ an Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.