GOLDENAGE

This project aims to determine the relationship between regular sports, health and quality of life in older adults in a four-year longitudinal study. Although it is known that exercise has a positive influence on aging and general well-being, this study specifically aims to investigate how regular sports influences health and quality of life in this population. By including a heterogeneous group of older adults, both men and women, the study aims to provide insights that could inform future recommendations to promote an active lifestyle in the aging population.

Keywords: Healthy Aging Trajectories; Sports Participation; Older adults; Well-being; Health and Fitness Indicators

General objective:

• The main goal of this longitudinal study is to explore the evolutionary relationship between continuous participation in sports activities and changes in health indicators and quality of life over four years among older adults.

Specific objective:

• Specifically, the study aims to evaluate how continuous involvement in sports activities can mitigate key health indicators, such sedentary behavior, physical fitness, cardiometabolic risk factors, cognitive function, and body composition, and overall quality of life. Furthermore, the study seeks to compare these outcomes with those of a group of older adults who do not regularly engage in sports activities.

References

1. Santos, B., Monteiro, D., Silva, F.M., Flores G., Bento, T., & Duarte-Mendes, P. (2024). Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour on cardiovascular risk and health-related quality of life in adults: a systematic review. Healthcare, 12:1866. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12181866
2. Boteta-Gomes, M. I., Aibar-Almazán, A., Hita-Contreras, F., de Loureiro, N. E. M., & Brandão-Loureiro, V. A. F. (2024). Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Portuguese Version of the SARC-F in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Diagnostics, 14(11), 1096. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14111096
3. Silva, F.M., Ferreira, J.P., Duarte-Mendes, P., Carvalho, E., Monteiro, D., Massart, A., Farinha, C., Soares, C.M., Teixeira, A.M. (2024). Changes in metabolic and inflammatory markers after a combined exercise program in sedentary workers: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003510
4. Brandão-Loureiro, V., Castillo-Viera, E., Cachola, A., Rosa, T., & Loureiro, N. (2024). Calidad de vida, caídas y capacidad funcional de mayores portugueses, durante la pandemia de COVID 19 (Quality of life, falls and functional mobility of Portuguese older adults, during the COVID pandemic 19). Retos, 52, 491–498. doi:10.47197/retos.v52.95705 (Anexo 32)
5. Silva, F. M., Duarte-Mendes, P., Teixeira, A. M., Soares, C. M., & Ferreira, J. P. (2024). The effects of combined exercise training on glucose metabolism and inflammatory markers in sedentary adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific reports, 14(1), doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51832-y
6. Santo, J. E., Lavilla-Lerma, M. L., del Carmen Carcelén-Fraile, M., de Loureiro, N. E. M., Brandão-Loureiro, V., Alzar-Teruel, M., & Ortiz-Quesada, R. (2024). Associations between the severity of menopausal symptoms and musculoskeletal pain in postmenopausal Portuguese women. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 165(1), 138-147. doi:10.1002/ijgo.15271
7. Martins, J., Masoumi, H., Loureiro, V., Gomes, M., Ratinho, R., Ribeiro, T. , Mehriar. M., Rakovac, M., Šentija, D., Bahr, A., Tomczyk, M., Dynowski, W., Solinas, R., Grazia Pirina, M., Coradduzza, D., Boccuzzi, G., Çag ̆na, B., Dalcı, A., Papageorgiou, A., Smaga, S., Parisopoulos, G., Patsakas, G., Ioannis Meimaridis, I., Loureiro, N., & Marques, A. (2023). Seasonality and Objective Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour among Older Adults from Four European Countries. Healthcare, 11(17), 2395. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11172395
8. Ramalho, A., Paulo, R., Duarte-Mendes, P., Serrano, J., & Petrica, J. (2024). Age Unplugged: A Brief Narrative Review on the Intersection of Digital Tools, Sedentary and Physical Activity Behaviors in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Healthcare, 12(9), 935. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12090935
9. Ramalho, A., Afonso, J., Paulo, R., Duarte-Mendes, P., Serrano, J., & Petrica, J. (2024). Walking in their shoes: an ecological momentary assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviors among urban and rural older adults). Retos, 59, 244–254. doi: 10.47197/retos.v59.104781
10. Ferreira, J. P., Duarte-Mendes, P., Teixeira, A. M., & Silva, F. M. (2022). Effects of combined training on metabolic profile, lung function, stress and quality of life in sedentary adults: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 17(2), e0263455. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263455
11. Espírito Santo, J., Hita-Contreras, F., Marques de Loureiro, N. E., Brandão Loureiro, V., Aibar-Almazán, A., Carcelén-Fraile, M. d. C., & Ortiz-Quesada, R. (2023). Associations between the impact of menopausal symptoms and fall-related self-efficacy. Menopause, 30(4), 421-426. doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000002151
12. Carcelén-Fraile, María del Carmen; Aibar-Almazán, Agustín; Martínez-Amat, Antonio; Brandão-Loureiro, V.; Jiménez-García, José Daniel; Castellote-Caballero, Yolanda; Hita-Contreras, Fidel (2022) Changes in satisfaction with female genital self-image and sexual function after a Qigong exercise intervention in Spanish postmenopausal women. Menopause. doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000001967.
13. Loureiro, V.; Boteta Gomes, Margarida Isabel; Alves (2022) Fear of falling and physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults. RETOS - Nuevas Tendencias en Educacion Fisica, Deporte Y Recreacion doi:10.47197/retos.v43i0.88588
14. Espírito Santo, J., Marques de Loureiro, N. E., Brandão-Loureiro, V., Aibar-Almazán, A., & Hita-Contreras, F. (2023). Psychometric properties and validity of the Menopause Rating Scale in postmenopausal Portuguese women. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 30(2), 179–185. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002104
15. Espírito Santo, J., Aibar-Almazán, A., Martínez-Amat, A., de Loureiro, N. E. M., Brandão-Loureiro, V., Lavilla-Lerma, M. L., & Hita-Contreras, F. (2021). Menopausal Symptoms, Postural Balance, and Functional Mobility in Middle-Aged Postmenopausal Women. Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 11(12), 2178. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics11122178
16. Loureiro, V., Gomes, M., Loureiro, N., Aibar-Almazán, A. & Hita-Contreras, F. (2021). Multifactorial Programs for Healthy Older Adults to Reduce Falls and Improve Physical Performance: Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph182010842

Related projects:

• UP Again Senior (2023-2025) Contrato-Programa N.º CP/0519/DDT/2023 -
• UP Again Senior (2022) Contrato-Programa N.º CP/212/DDT/2022 -
• UP Again Senior (2020) Contrato-Programa N.º CP/532/DDT/2020 -
• UP Again Senior (2019) Contrato-Programa N.º CP/695/DDT/2019 -
• Site up
• National System for Surveillance and Monitoring of Physical and Sports Activity 2018 (Adult Dimension), carried out in the Central Region by the Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra in partnership with the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. Location: Castelo Branco Funding: Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ) Amount: €35,000.00

Sponsors

• Federação Portuguesa de Ténis