Sarcopenia is a generalized skeletal muscle disorder characterized by reduced muscle strength and mass, and it is associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Currently, resistance exercise (RE) is recommended as the first-line treatment to counteract the deleterious effects of sarcopenia in older adults. However, while there is considerable evidence demonstrating that RE is an effective intervention for improving muscle strength and function in healthy older adults, much less is known about its benefits in older individuals living with sarcopenia.

Furthermore, evidence regarding its optimal prescription and delivery is very limited, and any potential benefits of RE are unlikely to be achieved without an appropriate exercise dose.

We provide a summary of the fundamental principles of effective RE prescription (specificity, overload, and progression) and discuss the main variables (training frequency, exercise selection, intensity, volume, and rest periods) that can be adjusted when designing RE programs.

Based on this, we propose that an RE program consisting of two sessions per week, including a combination of upper- and lower-body exercises performed with a relatively high level of effort for 1–3 sets of 6–12 repetitions, is appropriate as a treatment for sarcopenia.

The RE prescription principles outlined here, along with the proposed program, provide a useful resource for clinicians and exercise practitioners treating older adults with sarcopenia, and will also be valuable for researchers to standardize approaches in future sarcopenia and RE studies.

(Hurst C, Robinson SM, Witham MD, Dodds RM, Granic A, Buckland C, et al. Resistance exercise as a treatment for sarcopenia: prescription and delivery. Age Ageing [Internet]. 2022;51(2). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac003)