Advanced sarcopenia is prevalent among octogenarian women; yet little is known about myocellular quality and plasticity in this cohort. The aim of this investigation was to examine single muscle fiber contractile function and whole muscle characteristics before and after 12 wk of high-intensity progressive resistance training (PRT) in very old (85 +/- 1 yr) women (OW, n = 6). Young women [YW (21 +/- 2 yr old), n = 9] were included as a control group. Whole muscle strength [1 repetition maximum (RM)] and size (CT scans) were assessed before and after PRT. Functional experiments (size, peak force, velocity, and power) were performed on vastus lateralis myosin heavy chain (MHC) I and IIa muscle fibers before and after PRT. With PRT, 1-RM strength increased (P < 0.05) in YW (36%) and OW (26%). Thigh muscle cross-sectional area increased (5%) in YW (P < 0.05), but thigh muscle did not hypertrophy in OW. Before PRT, there were no differences in single-fiber parameters between YW and OW. With PRT, MHC IIa fiber size (28%), peak force (31%), and power (28%) improved, but no changes were observed in MHC I fibers, in YW (P < 0.05). There were no improvements in MHC I or IIa single-fiber function in OW. These data show that the myocellular functional profile in OW is similar to that in YW but that OW have a blunted hypertrophic response to PRT at the whole muscle and myocellular level. The limited myocellular plasticity in OW with PRT contrasts with that in YW and previous PRT studies in elderly women only a decade younger. These data suggest that attempts to greatly enhance skeletal muscle mass and function should begin before 80 yr of age.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whole muscle and single muscle fiber adaptations in very old men in response to progressive resistance training (PRT). Six healthy independently living old men (82 +/- 1 yr; range 80-86 yr, 74 +/- 4 kg) resistance-trained the knee extensors (3 sets, 10 repetitions) at approximately 70% one repetition maximum 3 days/wk for 12 wk. Whole thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) was assessed before and after PRT using computed tomography (CT). Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis before and after the PRT program. Isolated myosin heavy chain (MHC) I and IIa single muscle fibers (n = 267; 142 pre; 125 post) were studied for diameter, peak tension, shortening velocity, and power. An additional set of isolated single muscle fibers (n = 2,215; 1,202 pre; 1,013 post) was used to identify MHC distribution. One repetition maximum knee extensor strength increased (P < 0.05) 23 +/- 4 kg (56 +/- 4 to 79 +/- 7 kg; 41%). Muscle CSA increased (P < 0.05) 3 +/- 1 cm2 (120 +/- 7 to 123 +/- 7 cm2; 2.5%). Single muscle fiber contractile function and MHC distribution were unaltered with PRT. These data indicate limited muscle plasticity at the single-muscle fiber level with a resistance-training program among the very old. The minor increases in whole muscle CSA coupled with the static nature of the myocellular profile indicate that the strength gains were primarily neurological. These data contrast typical muscle responses to resistance training in young ( approximately 20 yr) and old ( approximately 70 yr) humans and indicate that the physiological regulation of muscle remodeling is adversely modified in the oldest old.

Raue, Ulrika, Dustin Slivka, Bozena Jemiolo, Chris Hollon, and Scott Trappe. Myogenic gene expression at rest and after a bout of resistance exercise in young (18 -30 yr) and old (80 -89 yr) women. J Appl Physiol 101: 53-59, 2006. First published April 6, 2006 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01616.2005.-The purpose of this study was to investigate mRNA expression of several key skeletal muscle myogenic controllers; myogenic differentiation factor (MyoD), muscle regulatory factor 4 (MRF4), myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), myogenin, myostatin, and myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) at rest and 4 h after a single bout of resistance exercise (RE) in young and old women. Eight young women (YW; 23 Ϯ 2 yr, 67 Ϯ 5 kg) and six old women (OW; 85 Ϯ 1 yr, 67 Ϯ 4 kg) performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions of bilateral knee extensions at 70% of one repetition maximum. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis before and 4 h after RE. Using real-time RT PCR, mRNA from the muscle samples was amplified and normalized to GAPDH. At rest, OW expressed higher (P Ͻ 0.05) levels of MyoD, MRF4, Myf5, myogenin, and myostatin compared with YW. In response to RE, there was a main time effect (P Ͻ 0.05) for the YW and OW combined in the upregulation of MyoD (2.0-fold) and MRF4 (1.4-fold) and in the downregulation of myostatin (2.2-fold). There was a trend (P ϭ 0.08) for time ϫ age interaction in MRF4. These data show that old women express higher myogenic mRNA levels at rest. The higher resting myogenic mRNA levels in old women may reflect an attempt to preserve muscle mass and function. When challenged with RE, old women appear to respond in a similar manner as young women. mRNA; skeletal muscle; muscle regulatory factors; real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction AGING RODENT (1, 31) AND HUMAN (16, 23) skeletal muscle has been shown to express high mRNA levels of muscle regulatory factors.

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The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the effects of marathon training on single muscle fiber contractile function in a group of recreational runners. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the gastrocnemius muscle of seven individuals (22 ± 1 yr, 177 ± 3 cm, and 68 ± 2 kg) before, after 13 wk of run training, and after 3 wk of taper. Slow-twitch myosin heavy chain [(MHC) I] and fast-twitch (MHC IIa) muscle fibers were analyzed for size, strength (Po), speed ( Vo), and power. The run training program led to the successful completion of a marathon (range 3 h 56 min to 5 h 35 min). Oxygen uptake during submaximal running and citrate synthase activity were improved ( P < 0.05) with the training program. Muscle fiber size declined ( P < 0.05) by ∼20% in both fiber types after training. Po was maintained in both fiber types with training and increased ( P < 0.05) by 18% in the MHC IIa fibers after taper. This resulted in >60% increase ( P < 0.05) in force per cross-sectional area in both fiber types. Fiber Vo increased ( P < 0.05) by 28% in MHC I fibers with training and was unchanged in MHC IIa fibers. Peak power increased ( P < 0.05) in MHC I and IIa fibers after training with a further increase ( P < 0.05) in MHC IIa fiber power after taper. These data show that marathon training decreased slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fiber size but that it maintained or improved the functional profile of these fibers. A taper period before the marathon further improved the functional profile of the muscle, which was targeted to the fast-twitch muscle fibers.