Local older people needed for Uni’ research

WE AT the university are looking for local volunteers to help us understand why muscle size is lost as people grow older.

As we age our muscles begin to waste away, and by 80 years of age some people have lost almost half of their muscle size. This is a serious health problem because we rely on our muscles for daily tasks such as climbing the stairs or walking to the shops.

Although we know that muscle wasting occurs as people get older, we don’t know the scientific reasons why.

In younger individuals, eating a meal containing protein leads to the growth of new muscle tissue. This response is blunted in older people, meaning that muscles gradually waste away.

In experiments at Loughborough University we hope to find out whether this is due to biological ageing or the reductions in physical activity associated with getting older.

Therefore, we are seeking healthy volunteers aged 65 to 80 years who undertake regular exercise (e.g. gym, cycling, running, swimming) as well as those who do not undertake structured exercise.

Volunteers will be asked to come to the lab on 2/3 occasions. The first visit will involve some basic measures of muscle strength, body fat and blood pressure.

On the second visit volunteers will come to the lab early in the morning following an overnight fast. Small samples of muscle from the upper leg, along with regular blood samples will be obtained before and after drinking a high protein drink.

From the samples taken, we will measure the body’s ability to build new muscle and analyse some of the complex processes that regulate muscle growth.

We will also use the muscle samples to grow muscle cells in the laboratory, which will help us to better explore some of the factors that affect muscle wasting in older age.

To volunteer or learn more about the study please contact:

Dr Neil Martin 01509 226489 n.r.w.martin@lboro.ac.uk

Miss Stephanie Gagnon S.Gagnon@lboro.ac.uk

Dr Neil Martin