Body Weight Changes, Muscle Degeneration, Walking, Difficulty
Conditions
Brief summary
Apparently healthy and well-functioning community dwelling 70-80 year-olds will be recruited to the study. All subjects undergo pre-screening for suitability and a physicians examination, as well as 7-day habitual daily steps are measured to ascertain baseline physical activity. Half of the recruited subjects (n=40) will be randomized into the intervention group and half (n=40) randomized into the control group. The intervention group is then required to reduce their daily steps to \<2000 for a 2-week period. Thereafter, the intervention group participates to a 4-week strength+endurance training rehabilitation program and no longer has restricted daily step count. The control group continues their normal habitual physical activity level throughout the 6-week study period.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALStep-reduction/Exercise Rehab
2-week limited daily steps (\<2000), and then 4 weeks of typical strength+endurance exercise for older adults
Sponsors
University of Eastern Finland
University of Jyvaskyla
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Randomized Controlled Trial, with 2 parallel groups
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
70 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. aged 70-80 years, 2. community-dwelling, 3. able to walk 500 m without assistance or use of walking aid and regularly walking \>5000 steps per day, 4. MMSE \>24, 5. BMI 20-35 kg·m2 (i.e. not underweight or severely obese), 6. no serious cardiovascular or musculoskeletal disease, 7. no risk factors for deep-vein thrombosis (e.g. blood clotting disorder, obesity, bowel diseases, personal or family history of DVT etc.), 8. non-smoker, 9. provision of informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
1. Underlying diseases likely to limit lifespan and/or intervention safety. Contraindication for physical exercise or physical tests identified during physician's examination, 2. unwilling/unable to track daily step counts using accelerometer, 3. excessive and regular use of alcohol (more than 7 units per week for women and 14 for men) 4. difficulty in communication due to severe vision or hearing problems 5. unwilling to provide consent or accept randomization into either study group
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lean leg mass | 6 weeks | DXA-measured total lean mass of the legs |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum isometric leg extension force | 6 weeks | Maximum strength of legs |
| Walking economy | 6 weeks | Oxygen uptake while walking at 3 and 5 km.h-1 |
| Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) | 6 weeks | Walking, balance and chair-rise tests |
| Whole-body fat mass | 6 weeks | DXA-measured total body fat mass |
| HOMA indices | 6 weeks | Blood glucose and insulin concentration based calculations related to insulin resistance and beta-cell function |
| White blood cell respiration | 6 weeks | Isolated white blood cell respiration as a marker for mitochondrial function |
| Blood pressure | 6 weeks | Systolic and diastolic blood pressure during rest (sitting) |
Countries
Finland
Outcome results
None listed