Effects of a multicomponent exercise program in institutionalized elders with Alzheimer’s disease

This study examined the effect of a Multicomponent Training (MT) intervention on cognitive function, functional fitness and anthropometric variables in institutionalized patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Thirty-seven institutionalized elders (84.05 ± 5.58 years) clinically diagnosed with AD (mild and moderate stages) were divided into two groups: Experimental Group (EG, n = 19) and Control Group (CG, n = 18). The EG participated in a six-month supervised MT program (aerobic, muscular resistance, flexibility and postural exercises) of 45–55 minutes/session, twice/week. Cognitive function (MMSE), physical fitness (Senior Fitness Test) and anthropometric variables (Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference), were assessed before (M1), after three months (M2) and after six months (M3) of the experimental protocol. A two-way ANOVA, with repeated measures, revealed significant group and time interactions on cognitive function, chair stand, arm curl, 2-min step, 8-foot up-and-go (UG), chair sit-and-reach (CS...