Objective:

To summarize and compare the effects of different exercise modalities on inflammatory responses in older adults with sarcopenia, emphasizing the significance of understanding the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms involved.

Key Findings:

• Aerobic exercise predominantly reduces systemic inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and TNF-α, and improves metabolic regulation.
• Resistance training mainly attenuates muscle-derived inflammatory signaling and promotes anabolic responses.
• High-intensity interval training and combined training programs exert complementary effects on both systemic and local inflammation.
• Exercise-induced anti-inflammatory effects are associated with suppression of pro-inflammatory pathways and activation of regulatory pathways.
• Exercise modulates myokine secretion and immune cell phenotypes, improving the inflammatory microenvironment in skeletal muscle.

Interpretation:

Different exercise modalities exert distinct but overlapping anti-inflammatory effects in older adults with sarcopenia, suggesting the need for individualized exercise prescriptions.

Limitations:

• The review is narrative and may not encompass all relevant studies.
• Variability in exercise intensity, frequency, and individual nutritional status may influence outcomes, potentially affecting the generalizability of findings.

Conclusion:

Understanding the specific inflammatory targets and mechanisms of various exercise interventions may facilitate the development of individualized and optimized exercise prescriptions for the prevention and management of sarcopenia.