Physical activity and nutrition recommendations for older adults living with frailty

Funding collaborators: This post-doctoral fellowship is co-funded by the Canadian Frailty Network, the McMaster Evidence Review and Synthesis Team, and the Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging

Frailty is a leading contributor to functional decline and early mortality in older adults but can potentially be reversed through diet and/or physical activity. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to identify the effectiveness of nutrition interventions, nutrition interventions with physical activity (combined approach), and physical activity interventions in improving outcomes related to frailty. Results indicated moderate certainty evidence that nutrition, protein supplementation, and combined approach interventions are beneficial for certain components of frailty, and low to moderate-level evidence that physical activity interventions are beneficial for frail older adults.