Preventing bed-rest induced muscle loss in the elderly
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exercise 'prehabilitation': A novel intervention to protect against disuse-induced muscle atrophy and sarcopenia in the old
IRAS ID
210324
Contact name
Leigh Breen
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Age-related muscle wasting (sarcopenia) leads to functional decline, increased risk of falls/fractures, diminished quality of life and, in some cases, premature mortality. Given the rapid expansion in the number of older individuals in developed nations and increasing prevalence of sarcopenia, this condition is now considered a hallmark of ageing that poses a major socioeconomic burden. The annual cost to the NHS of treating age-related musculoskeletal decline is estimated at £5.7 billion (5% of net expenditure). Reducing the prevalence of sarcopenia by just 10% would result in an enormous reduction in healthcare expenditure. The root-cause of sarcopenia is poorly understood, but may partly relate to inactivity and disuse. Periods of inactivity/disuse blunt the regulation of muscle growth (i.e. anabolism) causing rapid muscle atrophy and strength loss. Our view is that the accumulation of repeated disuse events and inactivity in older individuals results in chronic defects in muscle metabolism that may underpin the progression of sarcopenia. Resistance exercise contraction is a potent stimulus for muscle growth, but may not be practical to implement during disuse events in the old. The aim of the proposed study is to determine whether resistance training prior to short-term bed rest (‘prehabilitation’) can mitigate muscle atrophy and strength loss in the old, with the ultimate aim of slowing the progression of sarcopenia to maximize healthy ageing, thereby reducing healthcare expenditure.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0483
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion