Health impact of an intervention sport-competition-based in elderly: the “In-Common sport” project

Background The health benefits of a regular physical activity (PA) in older people are well known but the majority of older people in Europe do not meet the recommended levels to maintain health. How to promote a regular PA in elderly is a responsibility and a challenge for Local Authorities. “IN COMMON SPORTS-Intergenerational Competition As Motivation For Sport And Healthy Lifestyle Of Senior Citizens” is a three year Erasmus+ Sport project which promotes active lifestyle in senior citizens bringing them closer to sport activities. The project involved five countries: Portugal, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Hungary. The aim of the study is to present one-year follow-up data of the Italian sample. Methods Quasi-experimental study with 121 participants over 60-aged recruited in Cesena (Italy) through newspaper advertising. The experimental group (EG) attended twice a week structured training sessions for two years. Sessions included aerobic activity of moderate intensity and muscle-strengthening activities interspersed with aerobic activity of vigorous intensity. The training was the basis for the preparation in a competition that took place in each country. The control group (CG) received the advice to practice regular PA. Upper limb muscle strength (Handgrip Test) was measured as primary outcome. Results One year follow-up analysis were conducted on 76 participants, 52 in EG and 24 in CG (mean age: 71±6.7) using ANOVA and ANCOVA to test the effects of the intervention. The EG significantly improved upper limb muscle strength (1.9±2.8) vs CG significantly worsened (-1.9±3.5). After adjusted for unbalanced variables, the comparison between groups showed a significant effect of intervention on handgrip test (p value=0,012). Conclusions ”IN COMMON SPORTS” project has significantly improved handgrip strength in Italian participants. This test has shown to be a proxy of decline in cognition, mobility, functional status and mortality in older community-dwelling populations. Key messages IN COMMON SPORTS promotes active lifestyle in senior citizens bringing them closer to sport activities. The project has proven to be effective in improving handgrip strength.