Mixed
Abrupt reduction in physical activity (specifically step counts to <1,500/day) in older adults causes rapid loss of leg fat-free mass (approx. 4% in 14 days) and muscle strength (approx. 8% in 2 weeks), leading to anabolic resistance and worsened glucose handling.
If you are an older adult or care for one, do not assume that staying home during a lockdown is physically neutral. Inactivity causes rapid muscle loss and metabolic issues. You must actively break up sitting time with light strolling, standing, or household chores, and perform resistance exercises at home to maintain muscle mass and strength.
Reducing daily steps (to <1,500 steps/day) has been shown to reduce leg fat-free mass by approximately 4% over 14 days in older individuals... Two weeks of inactivity (75% daily step reduction) has been shown to decrease muscle strength in approximately 8%... reducing steps to approximately 1,000 to 1,500 steps/day has been shown to worsen glucose handling... accompanied by increased inflammation and anabolic resistance.
Why this rating
The paper is an editorial citing observational data (Fitbit) and small-scale intervention studies (bed rest/step reduction), not a large RCT on COVID isolation itself.
Source
Risk of Increased Physical Inactivity During <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 Outbreak in Older People: A Call for Actions
Hamilton Roschel et al. · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2020
DOI 10.1111/jgs.16550
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