Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging
Project Number: 8050-51000-091-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Oct 1, 2014
End Date: May 15, 2019
Objective:
LAB NAME: Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia
1. Characterize the mechanisms associated with nutritional and contraction-related mediators of anabolic resistance associated with advancing age and/or obesity in animal models and humans.
2. Determine the effects of structured, long term interventions of aerobic walking and resistance physical activity on physical functioning in older adults with chronic kidney disease or limited mobility.
3. Determine the effects of structured, long term interventions of aerobic walking and resistance physical activity on cognitive functioning in older adults with chronic kidney disease or limited mobility.
Approach:
LAB NAME: Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia
Sarcopenia, the age-associated loss in skeletal muscle mass and function, is a contributing factor to the observed declines in physiological capacity and physical functioning with advancing age. The overall theme of this project will be to conduct basic and clinical studies focused on the identification, evaluation, and understanding of nutritional and physical activity interventions that possess anabolic properties in skeletal muscle and have the potential to prevent or reverse impaired motor and cognitive performance and/or physical dysfunction in older individuals. Our basic research program will focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with age-related anabolic resistance in skeletal muscle. These basic studies will be uniquely synergized with our clinical/translational studies designed to evaluate the potential efficacy of nutritional and exercise interventions in older adults. Our proposed clinical studies will further seek to understand the role of structured physical activity and nutritional supplementation on changes in physical function and disability in older adults with mobility limitations as a consequence of anabolic resistance and/or sarcopenia. In addition, we will also examine the role of structured physical activity on changes in cognition and the role of physical activity on dementia risk. The pairing of clinical studies examining the influence of protein nutrition and physical activity on sarcopenia with basic approaches that identify the molecular landscape and potential targets in skeletal muscle for preventive interventions (nutritional, physical activity) may accelerate our ability to translate these findings to aging people.
