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Resistance training induced increase in muscle fiber size in young and older men

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Abstract

Muscle strength and mass decline in sedentary individuals with aging. The present study investigated the effects of both age and 21 weeks of progressive hypertrophic resistance training (RT) on skeletal muscle size and strength, and on myostatin and myogenin mRNA expression in 21 previously untrained young men (26.0 ± 4.3 years) and 18 older men (61.2 ± 4.1 years) and age-matched controls. Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were taken before and after RT. Type I and type II muscle fiber cross-sectional areas increased more in young men than in older men after RT (P < 0.05). Concentric leg extension increased (P < 0.05) more after 10.5 weeks in young men compared to older men, but after 21 weeks no statistical differences existed. The daily energy and protein intake were greater (P < 0.001) in young subjects. Both myostatin and myogenin mRNA expression increased in older when compared with young men after RT (P < 0.05). In conclusion, after RT, muscle fiber size increased less in older compared to young men. This was associated with lower protein and energy intake and increases in myostatin gene expression in older when compared to young men.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Tuomas Kaasalainen, Tuovi Nykänen, Risto Puurtinen, Liisa Kiviluoto and Aila Ollikainen for their help in data collection and analysis. We also thank the very dedicated group of subjects who made this project possible. Simon Walker is thanked for the critical reading of the manuscript and language revision, and Elina Kokkonen for the help in the statistical analysis. The Finnish Ministry of Culture and Education and the Finnish Cultural Foundation supported this research

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology of Physical Activity and Neuromuscular Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40351, Jyväskylä, Finland

    A. A. Mero, J. J. Hulmi, H. Salmijärvi, M. Katajavuori, M. Haverinen, J. Holviala, K. Häkkinen & J. P. Ahtiainen

  2. Central Hospital of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    T. Ridanpää

  3. Department of Health Sciences and Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Gerontology (FCIG), University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    V. Kovanen

  4. Mehiläinen, Sport Clinics, LIKES Research Center, Jyväskylä, Finland

    H. Selänne

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  1. A. A. Mero
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Correspondence to A. A. Mero.

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Communicated by Martin Flueck.

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Mero, A.A., Hulmi, J.J., Salmijärvi, H. et al. Resistance training induced increase in muscle fiber size in young and older men. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 641–650 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2466-x

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