The goal of this study is to define the effect of aging on brown adipose tissue mass in a cohort of older sedentary and older athlete adults.
Brown adipose tissue is a thermogenic tissue that contains large capacity to dissipate energy as heat. When activated by either cold-stimulation or increasing the amount of brown adipose tissue by transplantation, brown adipose tissue increases energy expenditure, decreases plasma glucose and lipids and improves systemic metabolism. Brown adipose tissue has great potential as a therapeutic target to combat both metabolic and cardiovascular disease, but brown adipose tissue decreases with age. The objective of this study is to define the effect of aging on brown adipose tissue mass in a cohort of older sedentary and older athlete adults. Studying the role of brown adipose tissue will potentially help us understand and prevent an accelerated aging process, which will help researchers better understand metabolic and cardiac health in the elderly.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
32
Older sedentary participants will undergo 8 weeks of exercise training. The exercise program will be supervised by a certified exercise physiologist and will take place at the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute (TRI) exercise training facility. Exercise compliance will be monitored for exercise training 4 days per week (32 total sessions). Aerobic training will be 30 minutes of brisk walking, jogging, cycle ergometry. Walking will be the primary mode of aerobic exercise given its widespread popularity and ease of administration across a broad segment of the older adult population. Walking will be at a moderate intensity and determined based on Heart Rate (50-70% of Maximal Heart Rate from most recent VO2max) and rating of perceived exertion using Borg's scale (ranges from 6 to 20).
AdventHealth Translational Research Institute
Orlando, Florida, United States
Collection of Imaging of BAT by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Supraclavicular Adipose Tissue Proton Density Fat Fraction Percentage (PDFF %) is the primary outcome. PDFF % is determined by MRI
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks (or Post-Exercise Training - for OS group only)
Aerobic Fitness
As determine by a VO2max test
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks (or Post-Exercise Training - for OS group only)
Body Composition
Fat mass as determined by DEXA
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks (or Post-Exercise Training - for OS group only)
Muscle Testing - Power
Right leg extension power as determined by Biodex (180deg/s)
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks (or Post-Exercise Training - for OS group only)
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