Effects of physical exercise in sarcopenia on patients undergoing bariatric surgery: A protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Severe obesity is a chronic disease and bariatric surgery is the treatment with more proven efficacy in reducing weight. After surgery, the weight loss is greatly associated with a significant reduction of skeletal muscle and bone mineral mass, with an increased risk of sarcopenia for these patients. 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 article aims to describe a protocol using supervised exercise applied after bariatric surgery on skeletal muscle mass index, body composition and strength to determinate sarcopenia in bariatric patients. A RCT will be conducted with 46 patients. Baseline measures will be compared with measures after de exercise program, in five different chronologic times. Participants will be randomly allocated to: 1) combined exercise group or 2) control group. The intervention will be 16 weeks for a combined exercise, started 1 month after surgery. The present study is expected to generate significant information about the role of exercise in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.