The study will consist of three groups of subjects. Ten young male subjects (18-30 years) will lie supine for 21 days, 10 older male subjects (65+ years) will lie supine for 10 days, and a third group of 10 older male subjects (65+ years) will also lie supine for 10 days but will receive interventions (see below) to counteract the physical changes caused by supine lying. All three groups will be bedridden in the premises of Izola General Hospital. Subjects will be housed in 5-bed rooms at the hospital and will receive 24-hour medical care, proper hygiene, nutrition, passive exercise, Internet, a relaxing environment, and visits. After their stay, subjects return home but receive 21 days of care at local fitness centers. Rehabilitation consists of interval training, in which subjects perform high-intensity exercise for 4 times 5 minutes. A number of important health parameters are measured before, during, and after bed rest. Some of these measurements will be invasive (blood and muscle sampling), for which appropriate medical personnel, sterile instruments, and environment will be available. Measurements will include normal voluntary efforts (indoor cycling, various jumps, short stretches) and electrically evoked muscle contractions (electrical stimulation with single impulses). All tests are normal tests and come from normal lifestyles and routine medical examinations.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
29
Test the ability of high protein diet (1.4 g protein/kg/day) with branched chain amino acid and cysteine supplementation to decrease bed rest induced muscle atrophy, glutathione depletion and insulin resistance in old subjects.
Assessment of changes in insulin sensitivity (Oral Glucose Tolerance test and muscle insulin signalling: immunofluorescence and western blot of GLUT-4, IRS-1, MPP/TIMP, etc.) following bed rest in old and young subjects.
SRC Koper
Koper, Slovenia
Insulin sensitivity
Assessment in changes in insulin sensitivity will be made with the use of Oral Glucose Tolerance test (OGTT).
Time frame: 10 days
Muscle mass
Muscle mass will be measured with bioimpedance and with DXA.
Time frame: 10 day
Muscle force
Quadriceps femoris maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) in isometric conditions at knee angle set at 30 deg flexion and hip fixed at 90 deg flexion using a custom-made knee dynamometer fitted with a load cell (RS 206-0290).
Time frame: 10 days
Neuromuscular junction stability
We will evaluate the presence of NMJ stability by analysing: AChR subunits expression
Time frame: 10 days
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.