The goal of this interventional study is to observe the effects of bone marrow stem cell behavior in skeletal muscle of women between 60 to 75 years old after a single moderate resistance exercise session. Plant sterol Rg1, a compound known to enhance stem cell infiltration following exercise in young men will be tested against a placebo in a double blinded crossover design. The main questions to be answered are: * Does Rg1 supplementation alter serum sex hormone levels in recovery from exercise? * Does Rg1 supplementation influence bone marrow stem cell differentiation in skeletal muscles of older women? Participants will: * Pre-test body composition, maximal leg strength, blood and muscle tissue. * One hour after taking the supplement, participants will perform 4 sets of 10 repetitions of 70% of maximal strength (1RM) leg press and have two thigh muscle biopsies (0 and 24 h after exercise). * Repeat the protocol one month later on the alternative supplement. Researchers will understand whether Rg1 improves recovery response to resistance exercise in post-menopausal women.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
11
The effect of Rg1 on exercised skeletal muscle in older women
Resistance exercise performed 1 hour following placebo consumption
University of Taipei
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Stro-1+ bone marrow stem cell area in skeletal muscle biopsies
Immunofluorescence staining will be used to semi-quantitatively analyze Stro-1+ BMSC presence in skeletal muscle of older women before, 0h and 24h after a moderate resistance exercise session.
Time frame: from enrolment to the end of study at 8 weeks
Nestin+ neural stem cell area in skeletal muscle biopsies
Immunofluorescence staining will be used to semi-quantitatively analyze Nestin+ neural stem cell presence in skeletal muscle of older women before, 0h and 24h after a moderate resistance exercise session.
Time frame: from enrolment to the end of study at 8 weeks
CD34+/CD31+ vascular stem cell area in skeletal muscle biopsies
Immunofluorescence staining will be used to semi-quantitatively analyzeCD34+/CD31+ vascular stem cell presence in skeletal muscle of older women before, 0h and 24h after a moderate resistance exercise session.
Time frame: from enrolment to the end of study at 8 weeks
Serum sex hormone levels 24 h following resistance exercise
Forearm blood draw and Elisa analysis of serum for estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone of older women before and 24h after a moderate resistance exercise session.
Time frame: from enrolment to the end of study at 8 weeks
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