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Effects of physical activity on strength and skeletal muscle fat infiltration in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

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18818386
10.1152/japplphysiol.90425.2008
PMC2584841
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
Nov. 1, 2008
Bret H Goodpaster1, Peter Chomentowski, Bryan K Ward, Andrea Rossi, Nancy W Glynn, Matthew J Delmonico, Stephen B Kritchevsky, Marco Pahor, Anne B Newman
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  • 1
    Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. bgood@pitt.edu
Muscular Diseases, Muscle Strength, Adiposity, Male, Muscle, Skeletal, Aging, Time Factors, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Exercise, Humans, Female, Aged, Aged, 80 and over
U01-AG-022376, P30 AG021332, UL1 TR000064, P30 AG028740, U01 AG022376, UL1 RR029890
Goodpaster BH, Chomentowski P, Ward BK, Rossi A, Glynn NW, Delmonico MJ, Kritchevsky SB, Pahor M, Newman AB. Effects of physical activity on strength and skeletal muscle fat infiltration in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) 2008 Nov.

Abstract

Considerable evidence suggests that the loss of strength and muscle mass appear to be inevitable consequences of aging. Moreover, aging is associated with an increase in body fat. This study examined whether increased physical activity could prevent or reverse the losses of strength and skeletal muscle mass as well as the gain in fat in older adults. Eleven men and 31 women completed a randomized trial consisting of either a physical activity (PA; n = 22) or successful aging health educational control (SA; n = 20) group. Isokinetic knee extensor strength and computed tomography-derived midthigh skeletal muscle and adipose tissue cross-sectional areas (CSA) were assessed at baseline and at 12 mo following randomization. Total body weight and muscle CSA decreased in both groups, but these losses were not different between groups. Strength adjusted for muscle mass decreased (-20.1 +/- 9.3%, P < 0.05) in SA. The loss of strength was completely prevented in PA (+2.5 +/- 8.3%). In addition, there was a significant increase (18.4 +/- 6.0%) in muscle fat infiltration in SA, but this gain was nearly completely prevented in PA (2.3 +/- 5.7%). In conclusion, regular physical activity prevents both the age-associated loss of muscle strength and increase in muscle fat infiltration in older adults with moderate functional limitations.