Exercícios físicos para promoção da saúde de pessoas idosas: revisão e experimento com participantes de um projeto de extensão da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

Introduction: The regular practice of physical exercise is widely recognized for its health benefits in the older population. However, there are still gaps in the understanding of the effects of physical detraining (DP) and retraining (RP). This study was based on three articles: a scoping review, a narrative review, and an experimental study. Objectives: The scoping review investigates the effects of online physical exercise (OPE) on the health of older adults (OA). The narrative review analyzes the impacts of DT and RT on the health and quality of life of OA. The experimental study examines the effects of strength and multicomponent DP and RP on the physical capacity of OA. Methods: The scoping review follows the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the PRISMA checklist. The narrative review analyzes studies on the impacts of physical DP and RT in OA. The experimental study was conducted in 2022 and 2023 over a 32-week period. The final sample consisted of 19 volunteers aged over 60 years, including 15 women and 4 men. Participants underwent anthropometric assessments and physical capacity tests at three time points: baseline, after four months of DP, and after four months of RP with strength and multicomponent training sessions, held three times a week, each lasting approximately one hour. Results: The scoping review results indicate benefits of OPE, such as improvements in physical and psychological well-being, as well as enhancements in social and cognitive functions, adherence levels, and fall-related factors. The narrative review shows that DP is associated with rapid deterioration of previously acquired adaptations, while RP proves effective in recovering these functions. The narrative review also shows that DP negatively affected variables such as body mass index (BMI), strength, endurance, and flexibility, whereas RP helped restore these levels with significant improvements. The experimental study demonstrates that DP leads to increases in BMI and decreases in muscle strength, aerobic endurance, and flexibility, while RP reverses these effects, promoting significant recovery (p<0.05). Conclusion: The scoping review found that OPE programs can provide health benefits for OA, contributing to physical, psychological, and social well-being. The narrative review observed that physical exercise not only minimizes the effects of DP but also helps preserve health and functionality in OA, recommending that future research focus on long-term studies and the standardization of exercise protocols to further understand their benefits. Finally, the experimental study showed that DP negatively affected physical capacities and anthropometric variables, increasing BMI and reducing muscle strength, aerobic endurance, and flexibility. In contrast, RP was effective in reversing the negative effects caused by DP, promoting improvements in physical capacity and BMI