Preventing Bed-rest Induced Muscle Loss in the Elderly

NCT04422665 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: RG_16-100
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Episodes of inactivity due to hospitalisation, as short as 5 days, are associated with rapid muscle and strength loss in the elderly. The observed muscle loss with inactivity is likely due to muscle anabolic resistance and increased breakdown rates of muscle tissue. This is of great concern as the average hospital stay in the elderly is 5-6 days. Moreover, minor illnesses not requiring hospitalisation generally require short-term periods of inactive home-based recovery. The accumulation of repeated disuse events in older individuals manifests in a chronic muscle anabolic resistance (i.e. the inability of muscle to respond to anabolic stimuli such as exercise and nutrition) that may underpin the slow but devastating process of age-related muscle loss. It is our belief that strategies to promote muscle health in ageing and reduce healthcare expenditure, should focus on alleviating muscle deterioration and anabolic resistance during short-term disuse. In this regard, we propose that resistance exercise (i.e. weight lifting) performed prior to a disuse event (termed 'prehabilitation') may be sufficient to offset muscle loss in older individuals. Thus, we suggest the potent effect of resistance exercise in older muscles may prevent muscle loss during short-term disuse.

Conditions

Muscle Loss; Disuse Atrophy; Protein Metabolism; Prehabilitation; Sarcopenia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis rates

  Myofibrillar protein synthesis rates will be measured during the prehabilitation and bed rest period in both the exercising and resting leg.

  2 years

• Muscle mass via MRI

  Muscle volume in the quadriceps will be assessed before and after bed rest using magnetic resonance imaging techniques

  2 years

Secondary Outcomes (13)

• Muscle fibre properties

  2 years

• Physical activity levels

  2 years

• Step-count

  2 years

• Plasma biomarkers of metabolic health

  2 years

• Serum insulin

  2 years

Study Arms (2)

Single Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects allocated to this group will perform a single bout of one-legged resistance exercise. This bout will take place 1 day prior to the start of the bed rest. The resistance exercise will consist of 8 sets of leg extensions and 8 sets of leg curls. The non-exercising leg will serve as an internal control. The dominant leg will perform the exercise.

Other: Resistance exercise

Multi Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects allocated to this group will perform 4 bouts of one-legged resistance exercise. These bouts will take place on alternate days the week leading up to the bed rest. Each resistance exercise bout will consist of 8 sets of leg extensions and 8 sets of leg curls. The non-exercising leg will serve as an internal control. The dominant leg will perform the exercise.

Other: Resistance exercise

Interventions

Resistance exercise OTHER

Single-legged resistance exercise

Multi Exercise; Single Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Males aged between 65-80 years
• No history of structured resistance training within 10 years prior to study participation.
• Generally good health as indicated by a thorough health questionnaire.
• A score of ≥9 points on the Short Physical Performance Battery to assess lower extremity function.
• Body Mass Index \<30kg/m2

You may not qualify if:

• Coagulation disorders
• Myocardial infarction
• Artery/vein disease
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Other chronic/systemic illnesses (i.e. renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer).
• Undergone 2 or more muscle biopsies from each leg previously.
• Received a stable isotope infusion in the last 3 years prior to study enrollment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Birmingham: lead
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council: collaborator
• University of Nottingham: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Birmingham, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences

Edgbaston, West Midlands, B15 2TT, United Kingdom

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Muscular Atrophy; Muscular Disorders, Atrophic; Sarcopenia

Interventions

Resistance Training

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neuromuscular Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Atrophy; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two intervention groups. Due to the single-legged typed of resistance exercise, each subject will be its own control.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 1, 2020
• First Posted: June 9, 2020
• Study Start: September 1, 2017
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2019
• Study Completion: January 1, 2020
• Last Updated: June 9, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)