Exercise intensity influences body composition: a 6-month comparison of high-intensity interval, moderate- and low-intensity training among healthy older adults

Grace Rose; Emily Hume; Daniel Blackmore; Jules Mitchell; Samuel Belford; Tina Skinner; Maryam Ziaei; Stephan Riek; Perry Bartlett; Mia Schaumberg

doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108763

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Exercise intensity influences body composition: a 6-month comparison of high-intensity interval, moderate- and low-intensity training among healthy older adults

Journal article

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Exercise intensity influences body composition: a 6-month comparison of high-intensity interval, moderate- and low-intensity training among healthy older adults

Grace Rose, Emily Hume, Daniel Blackmore, Jules Mitchell, Samuel Belford, Tina Skinner, Maryam Ziaei, Stephan Riek, Perry Bartlett and Mia Schaumberg

Maturitas, Vol.203, pp.1-7

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108763

PMID: 41175500

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

Adiposity

Ageing

Body composition

Exercise

Muscle

UniSC Diversity Area - Life Stages

Objective To determine whether exercise of higher intensity can elicit greater improvements in body composition among older adults, given that body composition is implicated in the progression of chronic disease. Study design Sub-study of a randomised controlled trial (ACTRN12618000700235). Main outcome measures Healthy older adults (n = 123, average age 72.0 years, body mass index 25.8 kg/m2) completed three 45-min supervised exercise sessions per week for 6 months. Participants were randomised to treadmill-based moderate-intensity training (n = 45), or high-intensity interval training (n = 41) or a low-intensity active control condition (n = 37), with individualised heart-rate prescription. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to quantify body composition at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months. Results For fat mass, both high- (p = 0.001) and moderate-intensity groups (p = 0.016) demonstrated similar reductions that were both larger than control, post-intervention. Only moderate-intensity training was associated with reductions in fat-free mass (FFM) at 0–3 (p = 0.005) and 0–6 months (p = 0.050), potentially exacerbating age-related reductions in muscle and other lean tissues. Overall, high-intensity training had greater between-group raw difference in lean mass than moderate-intensity training at 6 months (p = 0.042) and this group was the only one with a net improvement in body fat percentage (p = 0.017). Moderate-intensity (p = 0.009) and high-intensity training (p = 0.023) demonstrated comparable improvements in visceral adipose tissue over 0–6 months. Conclusions High-intensity training reduced fat and maintained lean mass in apparently healthy older adults, though changes were small and not clinically meaningful compared with exercise of lower intensity and considering measurement error. Where appropriate and feasible, higher-intensity exercise training may be considered to support improvements in health-related body composition in older adults. Protocol registration: ACTRN12618000700235.

Details

Title: Exercise intensity influences body composition: a 6-month comparison of high-intensity interval, moderate- and low-intensity training among healthy older adults
Authors: Grace Rose (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science
Emily Hume - The University of Queensland
Daniel Blackmore - The University of Queensland
Jules Mitchell - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson Institute
Samuel Belford - The University of Queensland
Tina Skinner - The University of Queensland
Maryam Ziaei - The University of Queensland
Stephan Riek - James Cook University
Perry Bartlett - The University of Queensland
Mia Schaumberg - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Biomedicine
Publication details: Maturitas, Vol.203, pp.1-7
Publisher: Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108763
ISSN: 1873-4111
PMID: 41175500
Data Availability: There are no linked research data sets for this paper. Data will be made available on request.
Grant note: This work was supported in full by the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation.
Organisation Unit: School of Health - Biomedicine; Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; School of Health; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991183644302621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Geriatrics & Gerontology; Obstetrics & Gynecology

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