Original articleAge-related hormonal adaptations, muscle circumference and strength development with 8 weeks moderate intensity resistance trainingSécrétions hormonales, circonférence musculaire et force musculaire : adaptations en rapport avec l’âge après huit semaines de musculation modérée
Introduction
Aging in associated with decline in the capacity of the neuroendocrine function and neuromuscular system, resulting in decreases in maximal strength, muscle power and muscle mass (sarcopenia) [1], [2]. With aging, serum concentrations of anabolic hormones and growth factors decline along with reductions in anabolic hormone concentrations, which are through to relate to documented decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength [2], [3]. Also, with aging serum concentrations of catabolic hormones increased [1], [2], [4]. Loss of skeletal muscle mass or muscle strength due to aging, start in middle-age and gradually accelerate thereafter [5], [6]. Resistance training increases muscle power, strength and mass through several mechanisms, for example increasing voluntary activation of trained muscles and inducing changes in the muscle cross-sectional area and subtypes of muscle fibers, even when resistance training began in older age [7], [8]. Moreover, resistance training can induce increases in anabolic hormones in women, younger and older men [2], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. Therefore, with resistance training, it is possible to prevent or delay the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and decreases in muscle strength and power in middle-aged and older individuals [5], [10].
There were a large number of studies that examined the effects of resistance training in young, middle-aged, and older men, and compared younger vs. older or middle-aged vs. older men [2], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. For example, Kraemer et al. [2] found younger men to possess more favorable hormonal profiles for cortisol and testosterone after a 10-week of heavy-resistance training at rest compared with older men. They also no found any significant changes in plasma ACTH and serum GH in both younger and older men. Izquierdo et al. [1] found that middle-aged and older men increased maximal strength following 16 weeks of heavy-resistance training. Older men made decreases in cortisol concentration after 16 weeks of resistance training, while middle-age men showed no significant changes in cortisol and testosterone concentrations.
Previous studies examined heavy or high-intensity resistance training on hormonal concentrations in younger, middle-aged and older men [1], [2], [4]. However, heavy-resistance exercise can be perform in younger men and has been shown to be a potent stimulus for increases in circulating hormones, this intensity maybe induced risk or injury for middle-aged or older men [1], [4], [11]. Moreover, moderate intensity resistance training can be prevalent in middle-aged men. With this goal, this study was designed to examine the effects of moderate intensity resistance training on hormonal responses in middle-aged men and compared with younger men. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 8 weeks moderate intensity resistance training on maximal strength, arm and thigh circumferences, anabolic and catabolic hormones in middle-aged and younger men. We hypothesized that moderate intensity resistance training can improve strength and muscle circumference, with elevating in anabolic hormones and decreasing in catabolic hormones in middle-aged and younger men. Also, these responses or changes are greater for younger man compared to middle-aged men.
Section snippets
Subjects
Ten younger (Y: age; 21.2 ± 2.2 years, weight; 71.9 ± 6.4 kg, height; 177.2 ± 3.3 cm, and percent body fat; 14.6 ± 4) and eight middle-aged healthy men (M: age; 49.7 ± 2.1 years, weight; 80.2 ± 6.0 kg, height; 174.8 ± 3.2 cm, and percent body fat; 19.8 ± 3; [mean ± SD]) volunteered in this study. Subjects were informed as to the experimental procedures and signed informed consent statements and medical history forms in adherence with the human subjects’ guidelines of the University Health Sciences Center before any
Results
Both the Y and M groups showed statistically significant improvement in thigh (TC) and arm circumferences (AC) after 8 weeks of training (TC; Y, from 54.6 ± 5.3 to 57 ± 4.3 cm [4.5%]; M, from 54.2 ± 5.5 to 56.3 ± 5.1 cm [4%], AC; Y, from 30.1 ± 3.6 to 31.9 ± 3.7 cm [6%]; M, from 30.9 ± 3 to 32.4 ± 3 cm [5%], P ≤ 0.05). However, the level of increases were greater for the Y, no significant differences were observed between the Y and M groups in the TC and AC (P > 0.05). The 1RMBP and 1RMS strength increased for the Y
Discussion
Decreases in anabolic hormonal concentrations (e.g., testosterone and GH) and increases in catabolic hormonal concentrations (e.g., cortisol and ACTH) with age can influence the reduction in muscle size and strength observed with aging [1]. Restoring an endocrine gland's function with exercise training remains an attractive hypothesis, which could help ameliorate the age-related declines in muscle tissue mass and strength. In this study we examined strength, muscle circumference and hormonal
Disclosure of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the volunteers involved in this study. We also thank our laboratory team for technical assistance with the immunoassay procedures. This work was supported by the research grant from the University of Guilan.
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