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Adults can improve skeletal muscle outcomes through combined endurance, resistance training
Both endurance training and a combined regimen of endurance and resistance training increased muscle mitochondrial abundance and capacity, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
“Eight weeks of endurance training and combined training increase skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity, mRNA and protein abundance of mitochondrial transcription factors and proteins in healthy young and older adults,” the researchers wrote.
The greatest improvements were seen when endurance and resistance training were paired, suggesting such a program could improve skeletal muscle outcomes in sedentary adults across a spectrum of ages, according to researchers.
Brian A. Irving, MD, of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues from other institutions randomized 65 adults (aged 18-30 years, n = 34; aged ≥ 65 years, n = 31) to one of three training interventions over 8 weeks: endurance, cycling at approximately 65% VO2 peak for 1 hour (5 days/week); resistance, four sets of 8 to 10 repetitions targeting multiple muscle groups (4 days/week); and combined, cycling at 65% VO2 peak for 30 minutes (5 days/week) and approximately two-thirds the resistance volume (four days/week) following 8 weeks of no training.
The investigators measured body composition, skeletal muscle strength and peak oxygen uptake before and after the interventions. Muscle biopsies of the largest quadriceps muscle were collected before and 48 hours after the intervention.
The researchers used high-resolution respirometry to evaluate mitochondrial physiology, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting to assess the expression of mitochondrial proteins and transcription factors.
Endurance and combined training led to increased oxidative capacity and expression of mitochondrial proteins and transcription factors. All three interventions improved body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle strength; most training-induced improvements were independent of age.
Despite the lower training volumes of the endurance and resistance components in combined training, those participants had the strongest improvements in mitochondrial related outcomes and physical characteristics with the regimen.
“Combined training also resulted in the most robust improvements in most the mitochondrial related outcomes and improvements in muscle strength and overall muscle quality in the older subjects supporting that combined training is the preferred exercise regime for older people to treat sarcopenia,” the researchers wrote. – by Allegra Tiver
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.