Researchers say results suggest 'complex interaction' of factors
Written by Marisa Horak, MS | July 20, 2026
- Parkinson's disease patients are less physically fit than healthy adults, even with regular exercise.
- The fitness differences are not explained by variations in muscle mass or fat tissue.
- Neurological factors in PD affect physical function, supporting strength and aerobic exercises.
Older people with Parkinson’s disease who engage in regular exercise tend to perform worse on measures of physical fitness than similarly aged adults without the disease, but these differences are not explained by variations in body muscle mass, a study showed.
While men and women with Parkinson’s tend to have different amounts of muscle and fat, these anatomical differences don’t translate into differences in physical function, the researchers said.
“This finding reinforces the notion that physical function in PD depends on a complex interaction between [neurological], muscular, and postural control factors, beyond the absolute quantity of [muscle] or fat tissue,” they wrote.
An early-access version of the study, “Physical performance and DEXA-derived body composition in adults with Parkinson’s disease participating in a community-based exercise program and community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study,” was published in Scientific Reports.
The study was conducted among adults in Latin America, a region that is underrepresented in Parkinson’s research.
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