Rates of Recovery From Strenuous Exercise in Physically Active Older Adults

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02899650
• Recruitment Status: Terminated
• First Posted: September 14, 2016
• Results First Posted: January 22, 2021
• Last Update Posted: January 22, 2021
• Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Hirofumi Tanaka, University of Texas at Austin

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The purpose of this study to determine if older adults who are healthy and physically active (i.e., Masters athletes) demonstrate slower rates of recovery from unaccustomed strenuous exercise of downhill running than younger peers.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Muscles	Other: exercise	Not Applicable

Detailed Description:

There is a well-conceived notion that the recovery from strenuous exercise gets slower as individuals get older in age. Studies using animal models have demonstrated that stretching of electrically-activated skeletal muscle to mimic eccentric muscle contractions results in a greater decline and slower recovery in muscular force in old mice than in young mice. Similarly, in human studies using sedentary adults, age has been associated with a slower rate of recovery from a series of eccentric contractions. However, the process of aging is often confounded by coexisting diseases and gradual sedentary lifestyles that progress with advancing aging. Could older adults who are apparently healthy and habitually exercising demonstrate slower rates of recovery from strenuous exercise? In a small-scale study, recreationally-active middle-aged adults did not display a slower recovery from unaccustomed eccentric exercise than young adults. Masters athletes are an effective experimental model to address this question as extrinsic factors (e.g., deconditioning, chronic degenerative diseases) that often confound the intrinsic aging process can be minimized in this population. As no study has been conducted in Masters athletes, it is unknown if Masters athletes would experience slower rates of recovery similar to their sedentary peers.

With this information as background, the general aim of the proposed study is to determine if older adults who are healthy and physically active demonstrate slower rates of recovery from unaccustomed strenuous exercise of downhill running than younger peers. In an attempt to properly determine the influence of aging and regular physical activity, 4 groups of apparently healthy adults, including young sedentary, young trained, older sedentary, and older trained adults, will be studied.

A total of 60 apparently healthy men and women will serve as subjects. Half will be young [18-40-year-old (n=30)] and the other half older [50-80-year-old (n=30)]. After the screening and familiarization, investigators will ask participants to visit the laboratory four times (four consecutive days) to perform downhill running and to test physiological measurements (muscular strength, pain scale, range of motion, arterial stiffness and blood pressure and blood creatinine and myoglobin concentrations).

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 60 participants
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)
• Primary Purpose: Other
• Official Title: Rates of Recovery From Strenuous Exercise in Physically Active Older Adults
• Actual Study Start Date: August 1, 2016
• Actual Primary Completion Date: September 1, 2017
• Actual Study Completion Date: September 1, 2017

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Young Fit; Young (18-39 yrs) people who have endurance training habit	Other: exercise; acute downhill running
Experimental: Young Unfit; Young (18-39 yrs) people who have sedentary lifestyle.	Other: exercise; acute downhill running
Experimental: Older Fit; Older (50-80 yrs) people who have endurance training habit	Other: exercise; acute downhill running
Experimental: Older Unfit; Older (50-80 yrs) people who have sedentary lifestyle	Other: exercise; acute downhill running

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Rate of Force Development [ Time Frame: After the downhill running protocol, various markers of muscle damage and muscular strength were obtained 24 hours post (the third visit), 48 hours post (the forth visit) and 72 hours post (the fifth visit). ]
   Rate of force development are measured by determining peak torque achieved on an isometric leg extension machine.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Pain Scale [ Time Frame: After the downhill running protocol, muscle damage pain scale was measured 24 hours post (the third visit), 48 hours post (the forth visit) and 72 hours post (the fifth visit). ]
   Pain scale on quadriceps muscle was assessed using a validated visual pain scale. The scale was on a 10-point scale (0 being absence of soreness, 10 being worst imaginable soreness).

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sedentary (exercise < 1 time/week) or well-trained individuals (exercise ≧ 2 times/week)
• Ages 18-39 and 50-80 years
• Individuals who can safely exercise

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who reports "Symptoms or Signs Suggestive of Disease" on the Health Research Questionnaire (heart and respiratory problems, dizziness and ankle edema).
• Individuals who report substance abuse within the last 6 months (elicit drugs, alcohol)
• Smokers

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, Texas

Cardiovascular Aging Research Lab at UT Austin

Austin, Texas, United States, 78712

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Texas at Austin

  Study Documents (Full-Text)

Documents provided by Hirofumi Tanaka, University of Texas at Austin:

Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan  [PDF] August 22, 2016

More Information

Additional Information:

Pubmed 

Publications:

Lavender AP, Nosaka K. Changes in markers of muscle damage of middle-aged and young men following eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. J Sci Med Sport. 2008 Apr;11(2):124-31. Epub 2007 Mar 9.

Dedrick ME, Clarkson PM. The effects of eccentric exercise on motor performance in young and older women. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1990;60(3):183-6.

Brooks SV, Faulkner JA. Contraction-induced injury: recovery of skeletal muscles in young and old mice. Am J Physiol. 1990 Mar;258(3 Pt 1):C436-42.

Brooks SV, Faulkner JA. The magnitude of the initial injury induced by stretches of maximally activated muscle fibres of mice and rats increases in old age. J Physiol. 1996 Dec 1;497 ( Pt 2):573-80.

• Responsible Party: Hirofumi Tanaka, Professor, University of Texas at Austin
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02899650
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2016-04-0070
• First Posted: September 14, 2016
• Results First Posted: January 22, 2021
• Last Update Posted: January 22, 2021
• Last Verified: January 2021

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No

Keywords provided by Hirofumi Tanaka, University of Texas at Austin:

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness; Eccentric exercise; Masters athlete