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Histochemical and enzymatic characteristics of skeletal muscle in master athletes
Abstract
Many older athletes are capable of endurance performances equal to those of young runners who have higher maximal O2 uptakes (VO2max). To determine whether this is a result of differences in skeletal muscle characteristics, gastrocnemius muscle biopsy samples were obtained from eight master athletes [aged 63 +/- 6 (SD) yr] and eight young (aged 26 +/- 3 yr) runners. The young runners were matched with the master athletes for 10-km running performance and for their volume, pace, and type of training. Despite similar 10-km run times, VO2max was 11% lower (P less than 0.05) in the master athletes. Fiber type distribution did not differ between groups, with both groups having 60% type I and very few type IIb fibers. Succinate dehydrogenase and beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities, however, were 31 and 24% higher in the master athletes compared with the matched young runners, whereas lactate dehydrogenase activity was 46% lower (all P less than 0.05). The capillary-to-fiber ratio was also greater in the master athletes; however, capillary density was similar in the two groups, because of the master athletes' 34% larger (P less than 0.05) type I fibers. These differences in skeletal muscle characteristics may explain the master athletes' ability to perform as well as some young runners despite having a lower VO2max.
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“protection from typical age-related muscle loss is equivocal in Master endurance athletes [43, 147]”
From Protein Requirements for Master Athletes: Just Older Versions of Their Younger Selves (2021) · cites this paper as [43]
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“Thus, given Master athletes would have training volumes that exceed their untrained peers and possess capillary networks that are on par with their younger contemporaries [43], it is unlikely that nutrient (insulin and amino acid) delivery to skeletal muscle is impaired in these athletes.”
From Protein Requirements for Master Athletes: Just Older Versions of Their Younger Selves (2021) · cites this paper as [43]
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Cited by
Sarcopenia: Aging-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Function
Larsson, L., Degens, H., Li, M., Salviati, L., Lee, Y. I., Thompson, W., Kirkland, J. L., & Sandri, M. (2019) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00061.2017 · Cited by 1,797
Mitchell, W. K., Williams, J., Atherton, P., Larvin, M., Lund, J., & Narici, M. (2012) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2012.00260 · Cited by 1,377
Endurance Exercise as a Countermeasure for Aging
Lanza, I. R., Short, D. K., Short, K. R., Raghavakaimal, S., Basu, R., Joyner, M. J., McConnell, J. P., & Nair, K. S. (2008) · Diabetes · doi:10.2337/db08-0349 · Cited by 582
Nair (2005) · doi:10.1093/ajcn/81.5.953 · Cited by 469
Single-cell transcriptional profiles in human skeletal muscle
Rubenstein, A. B., Smith, G. R., Raue, U., Begue, G., Minchev, K., Ruf-Zamojski, F., Nair, V. D., Wang, X., Zhou, L., Zaslavsky, E., et al. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-57110-6 · Cited by 323
Metadata
- Authors
- Coggan, A. R., Spina, R. J., Rogers, M. A., King, D. S., Brown, M., Nemeth, P. M., & Holloszy, J. O.
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 1990-05-01
- Volume
- 68
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1896-1901
- ISSN
- 8750-7587
- 1522-1601
- Cited by
- 107
- References
- 0
- Language
- en
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- Coggan, A. R., Spina, R. J., Rogers, M. A., King, D. S., Brown, M., Nemeth, P. M., & Holloszy, J. O. (1990). Histochemical and enzymatic characteristics of skeletal muscle in master athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1990.68.5.1896
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