Associação e poder discriminatório da atividade física para a prevenção da sarcopenia em mulheres pós-menopáusicas.

The sarcopenia is frequently observed in postmenopausal women and causes include changes in the hormonal status and low levels of physical activity. Functional impairment and disability are the major consequences of this condition. The study aimed to analyze the association and the discriminatory power of physical activity (PA), for the prevention of sarcopenia in postmenopausal women. The sample includes 257 women (57.2 ± 6.6 years; 69.1?11.3 kg; 155.0?5.2 cm) and body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance. The long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used for assessing the levels of habitual physical activity. The association of variables was been tested using logistic regression and the discriminatory power through Receiver Operating Characteristic, considering a confidence interval of 5%. The presence of a weekly caloric expenditure 580-816 kcal through the practice of walking proved to be associated with a better muscle condition in postmenopausal, being registered a significant association between this type of physical activity and sarcopenia only for the cutoff value of 816 kcal/week. The study results suggest that the practice of walking, gathering a weekly energy expenditure of 816 kcal, prevents sarcopenia in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]