Failed Recovery of Glycemic Control and Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis With 2 wk of Physical Inactivity in Overweight, Prediabetic Older Adults
Open accessAbstract
Background: Physical inactivity impairs insulin sensitivity, which is exacerbated with aging. We examined the impact of 2 wk of acute inactivity and recovery on glycemic control, and integrated rates of muscle protein synthesis in older men and women. Methods: Twenty-two overweight, prediabetic older adults (12 men, 10 women, 69 ± 4 y) undertook 7 d of habitual activity (baseline; BL), step reduction (SR; <1,000 steps.d-1 for 14 d), followed by 14 d of recovery (RC). An oral glucose tolerance test was used to assess glycemic control and deuterated water ingestion to measure integrated rates of muscle protein synthesis. Results: Daily step count was reduced (all p < .05) from BL at SR (7362 ± 3294 to 991 ± 97) and returned to BL levels at RC (7117 ± 3819). Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance increased from BL to SR and Matsuda insulin sensitivity index decreased and did not return to BL in RC. Glucose and insulin area under the curve were elevated from BL to SR and did not recover in RC. Integrated muscle protein synthesis was reduced during SR and did not return to BL in RC. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that 2 wk of SR leads to lowered rates of muscle protein synthesis and a worsening of glycemic control that unlike younger adults is not recovered during return to normal activity in overweight, prediabetic elderly humans. Clinical Trials Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03039556.
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Taking fewer steps lowers anabolic sensitivity to protein and reduces leg lean mass.
“We have shown that periods in which fewer steps are taken, as a model of inactivity but not outright muscle disuse, result in reductions in anabolic sensitivity to protein (3,4) and declines in leg lean mass (3).”
The reduction in muscle protein synthesis rates observed in this study is similar to the approximately 13% decline reported in a previous study of two weeks of inactivity alone in older men and women.
“The reduction in rates of MPS in the present investigation are similar to those from our previous study in which 2 wk of inactivity alone resulted in an ∼13% decline in integrated rates of myofibrillar MPS in older men and women (4).”
If energy restriction and step reduction harm skeletal muscle strongly in healthy older adults, then a compromised older population would likely experience greater muscle loss and worse glycemic control.
“However, if the detrimental effects of ER and SR on skeletal muscle are significantly pronounced in a cohort of healthy older adults, we propose that losses in muscle mass and impairments in glycemic control would be worsened in a compromised older adult population as we have reported (4).”
Previous work (reference 4) showed that returning to habitual activity without intervention was insufficient to restore muscle protein synthesis rates after two weeks.
“This finding is particularly relevant as our previous work (4) showed that a return to habitual activity in the absence of intervention was insufficient in restoring rates of MPS following 2 wk of return to habitual activity.”
Two weeks of reduced daily activity caused a significant impairment in glycemic control following the ER+SR phase that did not fully recover at the RC phase in both groups.
“Consistent with our work from our laboratory (4), we showed that 2 wk of reduced daily activity resulted in a significant impairment in glycemic control following ER + SR that did not fully recover at RC in both groups.”
A resumption of normal physical activity after a period of reduced activity may not restore normal glucose metabolism and, in the case of muscle loss, rates of muscle protein synthesis in older adults.
“Importantly, a resumption of normal PA after a period of reduced activity may not restore normal glucose metabolism and, in the case of muscle loss, rates of MPS in older adults,43 which highlights the deleterious and persistent negative effects of inactivity in this population.”
From Reduced physical activity in young and older adults: Metabolic and musculoskeletal implications (2019) · cites this paper as [43]
In that study, there was no detectable change in leg lean mass or muscle fibre cross-sectional area.
“While there was no detectable change in leg lean mass or muscle fibre cross-sectional area (CSA),”
From Reduced physical activity in young and older adults: Metabolic and musculoskeletal implications (2019) · cites this paper as [64]
In overweight, prediabetic older men and women, 14 days of step reduction from ~6500/day to ~1300/day was associated with a ~12% reduction in free-living rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis.
“The 14 days of step reduction were associated with a ~12% reduction in free-living rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis”
From Reduced physical activity in young and older adults: Metabolic and musculoskeletal implications (2019) · cites this paper as [64]
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- Authors
- McGlory, C., von Allmen, M. T., Stokes, T., Morton, R. W., Hector, A. J., Lago, B. A., Raphenya, A. R., Smith, B. K., McArthur, A. G., Steinberg, G. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M.
- Affiliations
- McMaster University (CA)
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Phillips, Stuart M
- ORCID
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology: Series A
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2017-10-31
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1070-1077
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- PMC
- PMC6037059
- OpenAlex
- W2765584992
- Cited by
- 113
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 6
- FWCI
- 8.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Diabetes Association (OG-3-14-4489-SP)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
- Keywords
- physical inactivity, glycemic control, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, myofibrillar protein synthesis, muscle protein synthesis, prediabetes, overweight, older adults, aging, glucose tolerance, heavy water
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Blood Glucose, Female, Glucose Tolerance Test, Humans, Male, Muscle Proteins, Prediabetic State, Exercise, Overweight, Sedentary Behavior
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