Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (34): 9067-9074.doi: 10.12307/2026.859

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Different doses of aquatic exercise for improving muscle strength in older adults: a meta-analysis

Wang Yifei¹, Zhao Jing², Gao Mingchen¹, Wu Xiaobin¹    

  1. ¹School of Physical Education, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China; ²Department of Physical Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
  • Received:2025-12-01 Revised:2026-02-11 Online:2026-12-08 Published:2026-04-15
  • Contact: Wu Xiaobin, PhD, Professor, School of Physical Education, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China
  • About author:Wang Yifei, MS, School of Physical Education, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate and quantify the effects of different doses of aquatic exercise on muscle strength in healthy older adults using a Bayesian model–based dose–response meta-analysis, thereby determining the optimal exercise regimen and providing evidence-based recommendations for precise exercise prescription.
METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in both English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and WanFang, to identify randomized controlled trials published up to March 2025 that investigated the effects of aquatic exercise on muscle strength in older adults. Data analysis was performed using R 4.5.0. A conventional meta-analysis was first conducted to estimate the overall effect, followed by a Bayesian model-based dose-response meta-analysis to quantify the nonlinear relationships between different exercise dose dimensions and improvements in muscle strength. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the effect measures.
RESULTS: (1) A total of 13 randomized controlled trials involving 531 participants were included. (2) The overall meta-analysis showed that aquatic exercise significantly improved muscle strength in older adults compared with control groups (SMD=0.56, 95% CI: 0.39–0.74, P < 0.000 1). (3) Dose-response analyses indicated cumulative effects with increasing training duration, frequency, and total weekly time: the peak effect was observed at 24 weeks of training (SMD=0.65, 95% CI: 0.40–0.66); a frequency of twice per week already yielded significant benefits (SMD=0.56, 95% CI: 0.22–0.58), with a slight increase at three sessions per week (SMD=0.62, 95% CI: 0.24–0.62); total weekly training time showed a significant effect at 100 minutes (SMD=0.58, 95% CI: 0.34–0.60), reaching a plateau beyond 200 minutes. (4) In contrast, session duration and intensity exhibited inverted U-shaped relationships: the peak effect for session duration occurred at 40 minutes (SMD=0.62, 95% CI: 0.32–0.82), with an optimal range of 30–45 minutes; the optimal intensity range was Borg RPE 10–12 (SMD=0.45, 95% CI: 0.18–0.46), beyond which benefits declined.
CONCLUSION: Aquatic exercise is an effective strategy to enhance muscle strength in healthy older adults. It is recommended that older adults engage in aquatic exercise two to three times per week, for approximately 40 minutes per session, at a moderately high intensity (Borg RPE 10–12), which should be maintained as a long-term strategy.


Key words: aquatic exercise, muscle strength, older adults, dose-response analysis, meta-analysis

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