The Effect of Aging and Immobilisation on Muscle

Bispebjerg Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Other: 2 weeks of unilateral immobilisation and 4 weeks of resistance training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00559806

KF01-322606

Details and patient eligibility

About

The debilitating effects of immobilisation on muscle strength and size in young individuals are well documented. Moreover, sarcopenia has long been recognized as a major cause of muscle strength loss in old age, however, changes in muscle mass and architecture with immobilisation in the elderly has not previously been investigated. This is contrasted by the fact that the elderly population more often undergoes periods of immobilization and disuse not only due to joint pain but also due to a higher degree of co morbidity and hospitalisation.The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of a 2 week period of unilateral immobilisation on the physiological muscle cross sectional area, maximal isometric muscle strength, specific force, muscle fascicle length and muscle fibre pennation angle in young and old healthy men.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 20 to 80 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Young healthy males (age 20-30 yrs)or old healthy males (age 60-80 yrs)

Exclusion criteria

• Musculoskeletal disorder
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Neurological diseases; or
• Cognitive disorders

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

1

Experimental group

Description:

9 healthy elderly males

Treatment:

Other: 2 weeks of unilateral immobilisation and 4 weeks of resistance training

Other: 2 weeks of unilateral immobilisation and 4 weeks of resistance training

2

Experimental group

Description:

11 healthy young males

Treatment:

Other: 2 weeks of unilateral immobilisation and 4 weeks of resistance training

Other: 2 weeks of unilateral immobilisation and 4 weeks of resistance training