Effects of exergaming with a resistance component versus traditional resistance training on sarcopenia in pre-frail and frail nursing home residents: a pilot randomized controlled trial

To compare exergaming with a resistance component and traditional resistance training in terms of feasibility and the preliminary effects on sarcopenia, cognition, functional mobility, and frailty among pre-frail and frail nursing home residents. A two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted in three nursing homes. Thirty residents who met the criteria for pre-frailty or frailty and had low handgrip strength were randomized to participate in either exergaming with resistance (EGRG) or traditional resistance training (TRTG) for 12 weeks (twice-weekly, 40-min sessions). The primary outcomes included sarcopenia-related parameters (e.g., muscle mass, strength, lower extremity function, SARC-CalF). The secondary outcomes were cognition (HK-MoCA), functional mobility (TUG), and frailty (CFS-C). Assessments were performed at baseline and 6, 12, 16, and 24 weeks. Thirty of 93 approached residents were enrolled and randomized (EGRG; n = 15, TRTG; n = 15), and 24 completed the study (80% retention). No significant group × time interaction was found for any outcome. Both groups showed significant improvements in handgrip strength, knee flexor/extensor strength, and the SPPB, TUG, and HK-MoCA scores from post-intervention to the 3-month follow-up. No significant changes were observed in the muscle mass, SARC-CalF, or CFS-C scores. Adherence was higher in the EGRG group (77.7%) than in the TRTG group (60.1%). Exergaming with a resistance component is feasible for pre-frail and frail nursing home residents and yields comparable improvements in muscle strength, physical function, and cognition to those achieved with traditional resistance training.