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Int J Sports Med 2016; 37(06): 483-488
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-101412
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Life-Long Wheel Running Attenuates Age-Related Fiber Loss in the Plantaris Muscle of Mice: a Pilot Study

M. Suwa
1   Toyota Motor Coporation, Health Support Center WELPO, Toyota, Japan
,
T. Ishioka
2   Tohoku Institute of Technology, Faculty of Life Design, Sendai, Japan
,
J. Kato
2   Tohoku Institute of Technology, Faculty of Life Design, Sendai, Japan
,
J. Komaita
2   Tohoku Institute of Technology, Faculty of Life Design, Sendai, Japan
,
T. Imoto
1   Toyota Motor Coporation, Health Support Center WELPO, Toyota, Japan
,
A. Kida
1   Toyota Motor Coporation, Health Support Center WELPO, Toyota, Japan
,
T. Yokochi
1   Toyota Motor Coporation, Health Support Center WELPO, Toyota, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted after revision 12 January 2016

Publication Date:
29 February 2016 (online)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether long-term wheel running would attenuate age-related loss of muscle fiber. Male ICR mice were divided into young (Y, n=12, aged 3 months), old-sedentary (OS, n=5, aged 24 months), and old-exercise (OE, n=6, aged 24 months) groups. The OE group started spontaneous wheel running at 3 months and continued until 24 months of age. Soleus and plantaris muscles were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde buffer. The fixed muscle was digested in a 50% NaOH solution to isolate single fiber and then fiber number was quantified. The masses of the soleus and plantaris muscles were significantly lower at 24 months than at 3 months of age, and this age-related difference was attenuated by wheel running (P<0.05). Soleus muscle fiber number did not differ among the groups. In the plantaris muscle, the fiber number in the OS group (1 288±92 fibers) was significantly lower than in the Y group (1 874±93 fibers), and this decrease was attenuated in the OE group (1 591±80 fibers) (P<0.05). These results suggest that age-related fiber loss occurs only in the fast-twitch fiber-rich muscle of mice, and that life-long wheel running exercise can prevent this fiber loss.

Key words

exercise - muscle fiber loss - sarcopenia - skeletal muscle - training
 

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