Abstract
Background
Advancing age is accompanied by changes in metabolic characteristics, such as reduced insulin sensitivity and low levels of vitamin D, which may exacerbate age-related declines in physical function.
Aims
The aim of the present study was to determine the associations between insulin–glucose dynamics, vitamin D metabolites, and performance on a battery of motor tasks in healthy, non-diabetic older adults.
Methods
Sixty-nine community-dwelling men and women (65–90 years) were recruited. Insulin–glucose dynamics were determined by an intravenous glucose tolerance test, and vitamin D metabolites were measured. Motor function was characterized by the time to walk 500 m, chair-rise time, lower body strength, dorsiflexor steadiness and endurance time, and muscle coactivation.
Results
Significant unadjusted correlations were found between insulin–glucose dynamics and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] with walk time, strength, steadiness, endurance time, and muscle activation (p < 0.05). A significant amount of the variance in walking endurance was explained by the sex of the individual, 1,25(OH)2D, and fasting blood insulin (R 2 = 0.36, p < 0.001). Strength could be partially explained by age, body fatness, and fasting glucose (R 2 = 0.55, p < 0.001).
Discussion
Poor motor function in non-diabetic older men and women was associated with indices of insulin–glucose dynamics and the bio-active vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D. Walking endurance and strength were explained by 1,25(OH)2D and fasting blood glucose and insulin, even after adjusting for age, sex, and body fat.
Conclusion
Motor function in a relatively small sample of non-diabetic older men and women was associated with metabolic factors that increase in prevalence with aging.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Statistics FIFoA-R (2008) Older Americans 2008: key indicators of wellbeing. UW Government Printing Office, Washington
Buchman AS, Wilson RS, Boyle PA, Bienias JL, Bennet DA (2007) Change in motor function and risk of mortality in older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 55:11–19
Cooper R, Kuh D, Cooper C et al (2011) Objective measures of physical capability and subsequent health: a systematic review. Age Ageing 40:14–23
Rantanen T (2003) Muscle strength, disability, and mortality. Scand J Med Sci Sports 13:3–8
Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Dietrich T, Orav EJ et al (2004) Higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with better lower-extremity function in both active and inactive persons aged 60 y1–3. Am J Clin Nutr 80:752–758
Gregg EW, Beckles GLA, Williamson DF et al (2000) Diabetes and physical disability among older U.S. adults. Diabetes Care 23:1272–1277
Holick MF (2007) Vitamin D deficiency. N Eng J Med 357:266–281
Giacomozzi C, D’Ambrogi E, Cesinaro S, Macellari V, Uccioli L (2008) Muscle performance and ankle joint mobility in long-term patients with diabetes. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 9:99
Abbatecola AM, Ferrucci L, Ceda GP et al (2005) Insulin resistance and muscle strength in older persons. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 60A:1278–1282
Chen CN, Chuang LM, Wu YT (2008) Clinical measures of physical fitness predict insulin resistance in people at risk for diabetes. Phys Ther 88:1355–1364
Lazarus R, Sparrow D, Weiss ST (1997) Handgrip strength and insulin levels: cross-sectional and prospective associations in the normative aging study. Metabolism 46(11):1266–1269
Holick MF (2008) Diabetes and the vitamin D connection. Curr Diabetes Res 8:393–398
Annweiler C, Beauchet O, Berrut G et al (2009) Is there an association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and muscle strength among older women? Results from baseline assessment of the EPIDOS study. J Nutr Health Aging 13:90–99
Matheï C, Van Pottelbergh G, Vaes B, Adriensen W, Gruson D, DeGryes JM (2013) No relation between vitamin D status and physical performance in the oldest old: results from the Belfrail study. Age Ageing 42:186–190
Bischoff HA, Stahlein HB, Urscheler N et al (1999) Muscle strength in the elderly: its relation to vitamin D metabolites. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 80:54–58
Dukas L, Staehelin HB, Schact E, Bischoff HA (2005) Better functional mobility in community dwelling elderly is related to D-hormone serum levels and to daily calcium intake. J Nutr Health Aging 9(5):347–351
Hirani V (2011) Relationship between vitamin D and hyperglycemia in older people from a nationally representative population survey. J Am Geriatr Soc 59:1786–1792
Bergman RN, Finegood DT, Pacini G (1983) Measurement of insulin sensitivity from the frequently-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test: direct confirmation with glucose clamps. Diabetes 32:A94
Falconer K, Winter DA (1985) Quantitative assessment of co-contraction at the ankle joint in walking. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 25:135–149
de Rekeneire N, Resnick HE, Schwartz AV et al (2003) Diabetes is associated with subclinical functional limitation in nondisabled older individuals. Diabetes Care 26:3257–3263
Baratta RV, Solomonow M, Zhou BH, Letson D, Chuinard R, D’Ambrosia R (1988) Muscular coactivation the role of the antagonist musculature in maintaining knee stability. Am J Sports Med 16:113–122
Burnett RA, Laidlaw DH, Enoka RM (2000) Coactivation of the antagonist muscle does not covary with steadiness in old adults. J Appl Physiol 89:61–71
Hortobágyi T, Finch A, Solnik S, Rider P, DeVita P (2011) Association between muscle activation and metabolic cost of walking in young and old adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 66A(5):541–547
Barzilay JI, Cotsonis GA, Walston J et al (2009) Health ABC study. Insulin resistance is associated with decreased quadriceps muscle strength in nondiabetic adults aged ≥70. Diabetes Care 32:736–738
Kuo CK, Lin LY, Yu YH, Wu KH, Kuo HK (2009) Inverse association between insulin resistance and gait speed in nondiabetic older men: results from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002. BMC Geriatrics 9:49
Gerdhem P, Ringsberg KA, Obrant KJ, Akesson K (2005) Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, physical activity, muscle strength and fractures in the prospective population-based OPRA study of elderly women. Osteoporosis 16:1425–1431
Marantes I, Achenback SJ, Atkinson EJ (2011) Is vitamin D a determinant of muscle mass and strength? J Bone Miner Res 26(12):2860–2871
Beck-Nielsen H, Groop LC (1994) Metabolic and genetic characterization of prediabetic states: sequence of events leading to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Clin Invest 94:1714–1721
Eriksson J, Franssila-Kallunki A, Ekstarnd A et al (1989) Early metabolic defects in persons at increased risk for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 321:337–343
Fukagawa NK, Minaker KL, Rowe JW, Matthews DE, Bier DM, Young VR (1988) Glucose and amino acid metabolism in aging man: differential effects of insulin. Metabolism 37:371–377
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the physicians and staff of the University of Colorado CTRC, Mike Pont Carpentry, LLC for development of customized experimental apparatus, the Integrative Vascular Biology Lab for use of MINMOD software, and Dr. Matthew McQueen for his guidance on statistics. This work was supported by CTRC Grant 1UL1 RR025780. An NIH T32 award (AG000279) to Dr. Schwartz supported JNJ.
Conflict of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Justice, J.N., Pierpoint, L.A., Mani, D. et al. Motor function is associated with 1,25(OH)2D and indices of insulin–glucose dynamics in non-diabetic older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res 26, 249–254 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-013-0166-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-013-0166-y