Can exercise and diet beat muscle loss in seniors? new study says maybe.
NCT ID NCT04948736
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a 12-week program combining exercise (stretching, resistance, and aerobic) with personalized nutrition and high-protein drinks in 168 older adults with sarcopenia and metabolic syndrome. The goal was to improve muscle strength, walking speed, and overall physical function. Results were compared to standard medical care, with follow-up at 12 and 24 weeks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Combined exercise and nutrition intervention (stretching, resistance, aerobic exercise, and customized high-protein diet)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this program could help older adults with sarcopenia and metabolic syndrome improve muscle strength, mobility, and quality of life without drugs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial with 168 participants, but results may not apply to all older adults. The intervention requires commitment to exercise and diet changes, which may be hard to maintain long-term.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
168 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Mar 2022
- Finished
-
Jul 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
65 to 90 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * patients older than 65 years and under 90 years * patients who meet the criteria for the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 * patients who had metabolic syndrome Exclusion Criteria: * patients with less than estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 30 * patients with musculoskeletal or chronic lung disease incapable of exercise * patients with untreated or uncontrolled cardiovascular disease which may affect muscle mass or performing exercise * patients less than 5 years after treatment of malignant tumor * patients with liver cirrhosis, diabetes and other chronic disease * patients who cannot perform combined exercise nutrition intervention for other reasons
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Metabolic syndrome are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13620, South Korea
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a robotic exoskeleton rebuild aging legs?
- Which exercise dose best helps kids with metabolic syndrome?
- Can a weekly weight drug quiet gout attacks?
- Can a Once-Daily form of tacrolimus spare liver transplant patients from side effects?
- Muscle loss may predict who struggles after cancer surgery
- Can a nutritional shake keep older adults strong and sharp?