New Exercise Technique Improves Muscle Responsiveness in Aging Mice

Rockville, Md. (June 1, 2022)—Combined modality exercise such as aerobic and resistance exercise is highly beneficial for an aging population, according to a new mouse study published ahead of print in the journal Function. Researchers also discovered the calf muscle of aged mice is highly adaptive to this type of exercise training. Physiologists used several cellular-level analyses and molecular biology techniques to identify new potential regulators of muscle adaptation. Since aging affects the adaptability of different muscles in different ways, this study yielded new information on what could be responsible for certain muscles’ lower responsiveness to exercise.

Studying resistance training adaptations in the muscles of older mice has been slowed by the lack of available techniques translatable to humans. However, this study used a combined endurance and resistance weighted wheel approach—comparable to studying 60 to 70-year-old humans—to explore exercise adaptation in muscles during aging. The hope is the combined training approach could help inform exercise prescription for older adults and lead to a better understanding of muscle adaptability and therapies for muscle loss during aging and disease. 

Read the full article, “Muscle-specific cellular and molecular adaptations to late-life voluntary concurrent exercise,” published ahead of print in Function. Contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314 to schedule an interview with a member of the research team.