Does Exercise Snacking Improve Muscle Function in Older Adults?

Muscle Function Clinical Trial

Official title:

Does Exercise Snacking Improve Muscle Function in Older Adults?

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02991989
• Other study ID #: UoB-ESS-01
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: November 20, 2016
• Est. completion date: July 2017

Study information

• Verified date: May 2018
• Source: University of Bath
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Muscle size declines at around 0.5-1% per year after 50 years of age, with muscle strength declining up to twice as fast as muscle size. This may eventually lead to loss of independence if tasks of daily living become too strenuous to be performed safely. Exercise is recognized as a safe and effective means to counteract muscle loss during aging, however access to gym equipment may be logistically challenging or unpalatable to older adults. This research is designed to investigate the effect of 28 days of home-based leg exercise that doesn't require exercise equipment or supervision (exercise snacking), accompanied with a daily protein supplement in the form of commercially available yogurt, on the skeletal muscle health (i.e. function and size) of independent, community-dwelling older adults. To achieve this, two groups will be compared; one group will undertake exercise snacking and consume a 150 g yogurt with the breakfast meal for four weeks, with the second group only receiving the daily yogurt with no exercise snacking.

Description:

The study will require potential participants to undergo an eligibility screening with a member of the research team, followed by a period of seven days of habitual activity monitoring and 3 days of diet recording. Eligible participants will be allocated into study groups by way of minimization based on sex, age, BMI, and number of sit-to-stands performed in a minute. Participants will undertake two familiarisation sessions with strength, power, neural drive, and balance tests at least seven days apart, the first following eligibility screening and the second familiarisation session at least five days before the first main trial.

Thereafter, both groups will undertake a main trial the day before commencing 28 days of daily 150 g yoghurt supplement with the breakfast meal, with the exercise snacking group (ES) also undertaking two bouts of exercise snacking a day. The main trial will include measures of leg muscle function and neural drive, standing and single leg balance, and movement co-ordination during tasks of everyday ambulation. Participants will wear a physical activity monitor and pedometer for the seven days and record diet for three days during the last week of the intervention. The day after the intervention period, a follow-up main trial will be conducted as per the first main trial, followed by an optional qualitative interview regarding participant's experience of the trial.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 20
• Est. completion date: July 2017
• Est. primary completion date: June 1, 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 65 Years to 80 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Not underweight or obese (body mass index =20 and = 30 kg/m2)

• Not regularly engaging in recreational sports or structured exercise (once a week or more).

• Non-smoker (for >5 years)

• Healthy (see exclusion criteria)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any chronic illness, cardiac, pulmonary, liver, or kidney abnormalities, uncontrolled hypertension, peripheral arterial disease, insulin- or non-insulin dependent diabetes or other metabolic disorders - all ascertained through preliminary screening.

• Individuals with a history of bone, joint or neuromuscular problems or a current musculoskeletal injury ascertained through preliminary screening.

• Individuals with any joint replacement surgical implants or other artifacts containing metal.

• Individuals with a clinically diagnosed allergy or intolerance of dairy products.

• Individuals with contraindications to exercise including chest pain, dizziness, or loss of consciousness, or who have been instructed by their doctor to only do physical activity recommended by them.

• Individuals who score less than 8 on the Short Physical Performance Battery or score zero on any component of the test.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Muscle Function

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Exercise Snacking
Each bout of exercise snacking consists of 5 exercise. Each exercise is performed for one minute, with aim of completing as many repetitions as possible of that exercise in that minute. One minute of rest is observed between each exercise of the exercise snack. The five exercises are; sit-to-stand from a chair, marching on the spot, seated knee extensions alternating legs, standing knee bends alternating legs, and standing calf raises. The sit-to-stand exercise is always performed first, with the number of repetitions achieved recorded, and subsequent exercises performed in any order without recording of repetitions. Two exercise snacks are completed each day for 28 days; once in the morning and once in the evening, or at least separated by 2 hours.

Dietary Supplement:
• Yogurt
Participants are asked to consume 150 g of yogurt (Arla, Skyr- natural flavour) with their breakfast meal. Participants may substitute the yogurt for another part of their regular breakfast, or add the yogurt to their regular breakfast, with participants asked to record a log book of daily yogurt consumption and to complete a three day food diary during the last week of the 28 day intervention period.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United Kingdom	University of Bath	Bath	Avon

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Bath

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United Kingdom, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	60 second sit to stand test	The participant is asked to stand up from sitting in a chair whilst keeping their arms folded across their chest, then return to the seated position as many times as possible in a minute.	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Lower limb muscle power	Measured during leg pressing	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Lower limb movement outcome variability	Measured during leg pressing	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Lower limb muscle cross-sectional area	Measured using peripheral quantitative computed tomography at 66% distal calf length and 25% and 50% distal thigh length	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Lower limb muscle cross-sectional tissue density	Measured using peripheral quantitative computed tomography at 66% distal calf length and 25% and 50% distal thigh length	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Body composition	Measured using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle fibre pennation angle	Measured using ultrasonography at 66% distal length of calf length and 50% distal thigh length	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle fibre length	Measured using ultrasonography at 66% distal length of calf length and 50% distal thigh length	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Postural sway during standing balance with eyes open and closed	Measured using a force plate	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Single leg balance	Measured using the Y-balance test	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Six minute walk test	The participant will be asked to walk as many times between two cones places 15 meters apart as possible in six minutes.	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Movement co-ordination during walking and sit to stands	Measured by Qualisys motion capture and force plates	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period
Secondary	Central drive of the plantar flexors	Measured through the interpolated twitch technique	28 days- change from pre- to post- intervention period