Exercise Interventions for the Prevention of Sarcopenia After Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review

Bariatric surgery is a treatment for severe obesity and its associated conditions, which already has ample evidence of its benefits. In addition to the reduction in body fat mass, the weight loss caused by bariatric surgery includes a significant reduction in skeletal muscle and bone mineral mass, which could negatively affect functional capacity and increase the risk of sarcopenia. The need for prophylactic programs that prevent sarcopenia in bariatric surgery patients seems to be one of the crucial points for the long-term surgical success of bariatric and metabolic surgery. This study aims to review the published literature regarding the effects of physical exercise on the prevention of sarcopenia induced by bariatric surgery.

We followed the PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews conducted in PubMed/Medline, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Randomized controlled, controlled clinical, and other types of experimental studies were considered for inclusion. A total of 356 possibly relevant studies were identified with quality considered reasonable and good. Eight studies were included in the review: six of which were randomized experimental studies, one was a pilot study, and one a quasi-experimental study.

Structured physical exercise allows significant improvements in body composition, positively affecting functional capacity, muscle strength, cardio-metabolic risk factors, and quality of life in patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery, especially when combined exercise is implemented in the initial weeks following surgery.

A combined, individualized, and supervised exercise program contributes to preventing and reducing sarcopenia after bariatric surgery.