Sit-to-Stand Exercises, Protein Supplementation Benefits Some NH Residents

A 12-week intervention that combined sit-to-stand exercises with protein-rich oral supplementation did not improve physical function in nursing home residents, but it did increase body weight. Researchers published their findings online in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 

“Nursing home residents are often undernourished and physically inactive, which contributes to sarcopenia and frailty,” researchers wrote. “The Older Person's Exercise and Nutrition Study aimed to investigate the effects of sit-to-stand exercises integrated into daily care, combined with a protein-rich oral nutritional supplement, on physical function, nutritional status, body composition, health-related quality of life, and resource use.” 

Researchers randomized 60 nursing home residents to an intervention group assigned sit-to-stand exercises 4 times a day and a bottle of a protein-rich oral supplement twice a day over 12 weeks. Another 60 nursing home residents served as a control group. All participants were older than 75 and were able to rise from a seated position. 

At the intervention’s end, researchers observed no improvement in the 30-second Chair Stand Test, which was the study’s primary outcome, or in secondary outcomes of physical function such as balance and walking speed, in the intervention group. Body weight, however, increased significantly in residents in the intervention group compared with those in the control group. 

Subgroup analyses indicated that at least 40% compliance to the intervention, which was achieved by 21 of 52 participants in the intervention group who completed the study, was associated with maintained or improved physical function as well as a gain of fat-free mass.  

“The nonsignificant result on the primary outcome in this study indicates that the combined intervention is not an optimal intervention for all nursing home residents, but could be for specific subgroups of residents,” researchers wrote. “We find it important to try to identify subgroups of nursing home residents that might benefit from this fairly low-intensive intervention.” 

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference:

Grönstedt H, Vikström S, Cederholm T, et al. Effect of Sit-to-Stand Exercises Combined With Protein-Rich Oral Supplementation in Older Persons: The Older Person's Exercise and Nutrition Study [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 26]. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020;S1525-8610(20)30289-9. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2020.03.030