EFFICACY OF EXERCISE MODALITIES IN OLDER AND ADULT MICE

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Alyssa Ann Fennell (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: As you age it is inevitable that a decrease in muscle mass will occur. This loss of muscle results in loss of functionality and strength 8. As people’s bodies become weaker, independence is lost resulting in need for assistance to do activities of daily living. This also results in onset of disability, increased mortality, and decreased quality of life 7. The age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is known as sarcopenia. Frailty, a common diagnosis alongside sarcopenia, is defined as the inability of the body to maintain homeostasis. Most individuals with frailty are also sarcopenic 7. In 2000, it was estimated that $18.5 billion was attributed to sarcopenia in the United States 5. The United States’ demand for nursing homes is also increasing at a speed beyond its capacity1.\nResistance training has been shown to help restore function in frail older adults in studies such as “Exercise training and nutritional supplementation for physical frailty in very elderly people” 2. This study also supported exercise as therapy for sarcopenia. Evidence from research has also supported voluntary aerobic exercise in the form of wheel running to reverse frailty in older mice 4. Cognitive function improvement has also been seen as a benefit of exercise through structural and functional enhancements in the brain 6. Strength and endurance-based exercises are often used to combat the loss of muscle mass, yet it is not a cure for age-related loss of function 3. There is much left to discover in regard to the relationship between exercise and the aging process. This research, performed in the lab of Dr. Ted Graber, was able to construct a mouse model analyzing the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in functional decline with age.\nAnimal models allowed the researchers involved to control the environment of the test subjects to accurately discover relationships between aging, frailty, sarcopenia, and exercise. This allowed variability between subjects to be decreased. Rodents were able to be easily kept in the same conditions as each other especially as they are small and do not change much from animal to animal. The tissues of these subjects were also able to be ethically examined after the training program. This allowed changes in cell signaling pathways, gene expression, and other molecular mechanism to be analyzed after the training programs.

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

Exercise, Sarcopenia, Frailty

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