Title Strength gains after 12 weeks of resistance training correlate with neurochemical markers of brain health in older adults: a randomized control 1H-MRS study /
Authors Sheoran, Samrat ; Vints, Wouter A. J ; Valatkevičienė, Kristina ; Kušleikienė, Simona ; Gleiznienė, Rymantė ; Česnaitienė, Vida J ; Himmelreich, Uwe ; Levin, Oron ; Masiulis, Nerijus
DOI 10.1007/s11357-023-00732-6
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Is Part of GeroScience.. Dodrecht : Springer. 2023, vol. 45, p. 1837-1855.. ISSN 2509-2715. eISSN 2509-2723
Keywords [eng] aging ; brain metabolism ; glutamate ; n-acetylaspartate ; neurogenesis ; sarcopenia ; strength training
Abstract [eng] Physical exercise is considered a potent countermeasure against various age-associated physiological deterioration processes. We therefore assessed the effect of 12 weeks of resistance training on brain metabolism in older adults (age range: 60–80 years). Participants either underwent two times weekly resistance training program which consisted of four lower body exercises performed for 3 sets of 6–10 repetitions at 70–85% of 1 repetition maximum ( n  = 20) or served as the passive control group ( n  = 21). The study used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify the ratio of total N-acetyl aspartate, total choline, glutamate-glutamine complex, and myo-inositol relative to total creatine (tNAA/tCr, tCho/tCr, Glx/tCr, and mIns/tCr respectively) in the hippocampus (HPC), sensorimotor (SM1), and prefrontal (dlPFC) cortices. The peak torque (PT at 60°/s) of knee extension and flexion was assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer. We used repeated measures time × group ANOVA to assess time and group differences and correlation coefficient analyses to examine the pre-to-post change (∆) associations between PT and neurometabolite variables. The control group showed significant declines in tNAA/tCr and Glx/tCr of SM1, and tNAA/tCr of dlPFC after 12 weeks, which were not seen in the experimental group. A significant positive correlation was found between ∆PT knee extension and ∆SM1 Glx/tCr, ∆dlPFC Glx/tCr and between ∆PT knee flexion and ∆dlPFC mIns/tCr in the experimental group. Overall, findings suggest that resistance training seems to elicit alterations in various neurometabolites that correspond to exercise-induced “preservation” of brain health, while simultaneously having its beneficial effect on augmenting muscle functional characteristics in older adults.
Published Dodrecht : Springer
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2023
CC license CC license description