Strength training stops the aging process in human skeletal muscle.
02/10/1712:25
I was answering some questions for one our clients the other day concerning various forms of exercise / activity. I recalled this study, opened my laptop and started to discuss the relevant research with the her. This study, in particular, serves to illustrate the priority of resistance training.
I was answering some questions for one our clients the other day concerning various forms of exercise / activity. I recalled this study, opened my laptop and started to discuss the relevant research with the her. This study, in particular, serves to illustrate the priority of resistance training. Generally training studies are short term in nature (6-10 weeks), due to funding, subject retention, and various other reasons. This study looked at a cross section of subjects, participating in various exercise modes / activity levels. In order to be included in the study, the subjects had to participate in their respective activities between 12-17 years.
The researchers compared 5 different groups of subjects: (1) young controls, (2) older sedentary, (3) older runners, (4) older swimmers, and (5) older strength trained subjects. They conducted various muscle performance test and examined muscle biopsies. This was the conclusion:
“In contrast to swimmers and runners, the elderly strength trained subjects had maximal isometric torques, speed of movements, cross-sectional areas, specific tensions and a content of myosin and tropomyosin isoforms in both muscle studied IDENTICAL to those of young controls.”
“These results seem to suggest that strength training can counteract the age-related changes in function and morphology of the aging human skeletal muscle.”
Basically, this means that the muscle tissue of the older strength trained subjects exhibited no aging when compared to younger subjects. This was not the case for older runners or older swimmer. I will explore the reasons and physiological mechanisms behind this in future post.
Thanks,
Ryan
Acta Physiol Scand. 1990 Sep;140(1):41-54.
Function, morphology and protein expression of ageing skeletal muscle: a cross-sectional study of elderly men with different training backgrounds.
Klitgaard H1, Mantoni M, Schiaffino S, Ausoni S, Gorza L, Laurent-Winter C, Schnohr P, Saltin B.
Abstract
The function and morphology of knee extension/m. vastus lateralis and elbow flexion/m. biceps brachii were studied in young (28 +/- 0.1 years, n = 7) and elderly (68 +/- 0.5 years, n = 8) sedentary subjects and in elderly swimmers (69 +/- 1.9 years, n = 6), runners (70 +/- 0.7 years, n = 5) and strength-trained subjects (68 +/- 0.8 years, n = 7). On average, the training groups had, for the 12-17 years before the measurements were taken, performed their training regimen 3 +/- 0.1 times a week. Compared with the young subjects, the maximal isometric torque of the sedentary elderly subjects was 44% (P less than 0.05) lower in knee extension and 32% (P less than 0.05) lower in elbow flexion, and speed of movement was between 20 and 26% (P less than 0.05) lower in both knee extension and elbow flexion. The cross-sectional area of m. quadriceps femoris and the elbow flexors was also 24% (P less than 0.05) and 20% lower respectively, and the specific tension was 27% (P less than 0.05) lower in m. quadriceps femoris and 14% (P less than 0.05) lower in the elbow flexors. A 27% (P less than 0.05) higher content of myosin heavy chain type I and a 39% (P less than 0.05) higher content of the slow-type myosin light chain--2 was observed in m. vastus lateralis of the sedentary elderly subjects as compared with the young subjects. The same tendency was also seen with m. biceps brachii. Since the histochemical fibre-type distribution was identical and no major co-expression of type I and type II myosin heavy-chain isoforms was observed with immunocytochemistry, the increase in slow myosin isoforms with ageing seems mainly related to a larger relative area of type I fibres, induced by a selective atrophy of type II fibre area. An increased content of the beta-isoform of tropomyosin was also demonstrated with ageing. In contrast to the swimmers and runners, the elderly strength-trained subjects had maximal isometric torques, speed of movements, cross-sectional areas, specific tensions and a content of myosin and tropomyosin isoforms in both muscles studied identical to those of the young controls. These results seem to suggest that strength training can counteract the age-related changes in function and morphology of the ageing human skeletal muscle.
The researchers compared 5 different groups of subjects: (1) young controls, (2) older sedentary, (3) older runners, (4) older swimmers, and (5) older strength trained subjects. They conducted various muscle performance test and examined muscle biopsies. This was the conclusion:
“In contrast to swimmers and runners, the elderly strength trained subjects had maximal isometric torques, speed of movements, cross-sectional areas, specific tensions and a content of myosin and tropomyosin isoforms in both muscle studied IDENTICAL to those of young controls.”
“These results seem to suggest that strength training can counteract the age-related changes in function and morphology of the aging human skeletal muscle.”
Basically, this means that the muscle tissue of the older strength trained subjects exhibited no aging when compared to younger subjects. This was not the case for older runners or older swimmer. I will explore the reasons and physiological mechanisms behind this in future post.
Thanks,
Ryan
Acta Physiol Scand. 1990 Sep;140(1):41-54.
Function, morphology and protein expression of ageing skeletal muscle: a cross-sectional study of elderly men with different training backgrounds.
Klitgaard H1, Mantoni M, Schiaffino S, Ausoni S, Gorza L, Laurent-Winter C, Schnohr P, Saltin B.
Abstract
The function and morphology of knee extension/m. vastus lateralis and elbow flexion/m. biceps brachii were studied in young (28 +/- 0.1 years, n = 7) and elderly (68 +/- 0.5 years, n = 8) sedentary subjects and in elderly swimmers (69 +/- 1.9 years, n = 6), runners (70 +/- 0.7 years, n = 5) and strength-trained subjects (68 +/- 0.8 years, n = 7). On average, the training groups had, for the 12-17 years before the measurements were taken, performed their training regimen 3 +/- 0.1 times a week. Compared with the young subjects, the maximal isometric torque of the sedentary elderly subjects was 44% (P less than 0.05) lower in knee extension and 32% (P less than 0.05) lower in elbow flexion, and speed of movement was between 20 and 26% (P less than 0.05) lower in both knee extension and elbow flexion. The cross-sectional area of m. quadriceps femoris and the elbow flexors was also 24% (P less than 0.05) and 20% lower respectively, and the specific tension was 27% (P less than 0.05) lower in m. quadriceps femoris and 14% (P less than 0.05) lower in the elbow flexors. A 27% (P less than 0.05) higher content of myosin heavy chain type I and a 39% (P less than 0.05) higher content of the slow-type myosin light chain--2 was observed in m. vastus lateralis of the sedentary elderly subjects as compared with the young subjects. The same tendency was also seen with m. biceps brachii. Since the histochemical fibre-type distribution was identical and no major co-expression of type I and type II myosin heavy-chain isoforms was observed with immunocytochemistry, the increase in slow myosin isoforms with ageing seems mainly related to a larger relative area of type I fibres, induced by a selective atrophy of type II fibre area. An increased content of the beta-isoform of tropomyosin was also demonstrated with ageing. In contrast to the swimmers and runners, the elderly strength-trained subjects had maximal isometric torques, speed of movements, cross-sectional areas, specific tensions and a content of myosin and tropomyosin isoforms in both muscles studied identical to those of the young controls. These results seem to suggest that strength training can counteract the age-related changes in function and morphology of the ageing human skeletal muscle.
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