Bibliometric map of exercise research for functional health in older adults, 2000–2025
A bibliometric analysis of 5705 publications found growing output on exercise for functional health in older adults, with keyword focuses shifting over time toward cognitive impairment, sarcopenia and frailty. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The bibliometric analysis included 5705 publications from 2000 to 2025, with more than 400 papers annually on average since 2021. [1]
The United States had the most published papers (2113), followed by China (941). [1]
Keyword focuses shifted from disability before 2016 to cognitive impairment, sarcopenia and frailty since 2020. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Bibliometric analysis of publications (abstract)
- Population / context
- Publications on exercise interventions for functional health in older adults, 2000–2025
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 1, 2026
Counting 5705 publications on exercise and functional health
The authors asked which research trends and characteristics exist in work on exercise for functional decline in older adults. They searched Web of Science with a predefined strategy for publications from 2000 to 2025 and analyzed them with CiteSpace and VOSviewer. In total, 5705 publications were included. Output rose over the 26 years, averaging more than 400 papers annually since 2021. The United States had the most papers (2113), followed by China (941). This is a count of publications, not a test of whether exercise works.
Supporting source [1]
Keyword shifts from disability to frailty and cognition
The keyword focuses changed over time. Before 2016 the focus was "disability". Between 2017 and 2019 it moved to "mobility", "quality of life", "balance", "walking", "activities of daily living", "muscle strength", "falls" and "executive function". Since 2020 the focus has been "cognitive impairment", "sarcopenia" and "frailty". Keywords with citation bursts also shifted: from 2000 to 2010 "disability", "risk factors" and "quality of life"; from 2010 to 2020 terms such as "skeletal muscle", "lower-limb function", "gait" and "aerobic exercise"; after 2020 "cognitive impairment", "tai chi", "muscle mass" and "healthy ageing". These are publication patterns, not evidence that any intervention causes these outcomes.
Supporting source [1]
What the bibliometric counts can and cannot show
The authors conclude that exercise intervention for functional health in older adults remains a hot research topic, that research institutions and teams are diverse, and that the United States and China are leading countries. They describe cognitive and executive functions and related exercise interventions as current focuses. The abstract reports no participant outcomes, effect sizes or comparison of interventions. Because this is a bibliometric analysis of publication records, it maps research activity and keyword trends; it does not show that exercise improves function, cognition or lifespan. The full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a bibliometric analysis of publication records, so it describes research activity and keyword trends, not participant outcomes or causal effects of exercise.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Zhang Y, Ying X, Meng Z, Zhang Y. · europepmc.org · October 1, 2026