Cited by 156Muscle Physiology and DisordersNutrition and Health in AgingMuscle metabolism and nutrition

The impact of ageing, physical activity, and pre‐frailty on skeletal muscle phenotype, mitochondrial content, and intramyocellular lipids in men

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St‐Jean‐Pelletier, Félix, Pion, Charlotte H, Leduc‐Gaudet, Jean‐Philippe, Sgarioto, Nicolas, Zovilé, Igor, Barbat‐Artigas, Sébastien, Reynaud, Olivier, Alkaterji, Feras +9 more·2017·Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle

Abstract

Background: The exact impact of ageing on skeletal muscle phenotype and mitochondrial and lipid content remains controversial, probably because physical activity, which greatly influences muscle physiology, is rarely accounted for. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the effects of ageing, physical activity, and pre‐frailty on skeletal muscle phenotype, and mitochondrial and intramyocellular lipid content in men. Methods: Recreationally active young adult (20–30 yo; YA); active (ACT) and sedentary (SED) middle‐age (50–65 yo; MA‐ACT and MA‐SED); and older (65 + yo; 65 + ACT and 65 + SED) and pre‐frail older (65 + PF) men were recruited. Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis were collected to assess, on muscle cross sections, muscle phenotype (using myosin heavy chain isoforms immunolabelling), the fibre type‐specific content of mitochondria (by quantifying the succinate dehydrogenase stain intensity), and the fibre type‐specific lipid content (by quantifying the Oil Red O stain intensity). Results: Only 65 + SED and 65 + PF displayed significantly lower overall and type IIa fibre sizes vs. YA. 65 + SED displayed a lower type IIa fibre proportion vs. YA. MA‐SED and 65 + SED displayed a higher hybrid type IIa/IIx fibre proportion vs. YA. Sedentary and pre‐frail, but not active, men displayed lower mitochondrial content irrespective of fibre type vs. YA. 65 + SED, but not 65 + ACT, displayed a higher lipid content in type I fibres vs. YA. Finally, mitochondrial content, but not lipid content, was positively correlated with indices of muscle function, functional capacity, and insulin sensitivity across all subjects. Conclusions: Taken altogether, our results indicate that ageing in sedentary men is associated with (i) complex changes in muscle phenotype preferentially affecting type IIa fibres; (ii) a decline in mitochondrial content affecting all fibre types; and (iii) an increase in lipid content in type I fibres. They also indicate that physical activity partially protects from the effects of ageing on muscle phenotype, mitochondrial content, and lipid accumulation. No skeletal specific muscle phenotype of pre‐frailty was observed.

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  • Compared with healthy older adults, frail, mobility-impaired and high fall-risk older adults with reduced muscle performance have greater intramyocellular lipids.

    “Compared to healthy older adults, studies report greater IMCLs in frail, mobility-impaired and high fall-risk older adults with reduced muscle performance, who are at increased risk of death and disability ([63, 70, 71].”
  • Exercise training and calorie restriction are the most efficient interventions to attenuate sarcopenia.

    “the most efficient interventions to attenuate sarcopenia are exercise training [21,22,23,24] and calorie restriction [25,26,27]”

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Authors
St‐Jean‐Pelletier, F., Pion, C. H., Leduc‐Gaudet, J., Sgarioto, N., Zovilé, I., Barbat‐Artigas, S., Reynaud, O., Alkaterji, F., Lemieux, F. C., Grenon, A., Gaudreau, P., Hepple, R. T., Chevalier, S., Belanger, M., Morais, J. A., Aubertin‐Leheudre, M., & Gouspillou, G.
Affiliations
  • Département de Sciences de l'activité Physique, Faculté des Sciences UQAM Quebec Canada
  • Université du Québec à Montréal (CA)
  • Université de Montréal (CA)
  • McGill University Health Centre (CA)
Corresponding author
Gouspillou, Gilles
Venue
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-09-02
Volume
8
Issue
2
Pages
213-228
ISSN
  • 2190-5991 (ISSN-L)
  • 2190-6009
OpenAlex
W2511955506
Cited by
156
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 1
FWCI
7.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Le dépôt institutionnel (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP125986 and MOP119583)
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN2014‐04668 to GG)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
Keywords
aging, physical activity, pre-frailty, skeletal muscle phenotype, mitochondrial content, intramyocellular lipid, myosin heavy chain isoforms, muscle fiber composition, type IIA fibers, type I muscle fibers, sedentary behavior, muscle function, insulin sensitivity, men
MeSH terms
Frailty, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Blood Glucose, Body Composition, Humans, Insulin, Lipids, Male, Middle Aged, Mitochondria, Muscle, Phenotype, Exercise, Muscle, Skeletal, Hand Strength, Lipid Metabolism, Young Adult

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