Open AccessLifelong exercise, but not short‐term high‐intensity interval training, increases GDF 11, a marker of successful aging: a preliminary investigation
Author(s) -
Elliott Bradley T.,
Herbert Peter,
Sculthorpe Nicholas,
Grace Fergal M.,
Stratton Daniel,
Hayes Lawrence D.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
physiological reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2051-817X
DOI - 10.14814/phy2.13343
Subject(s) - myostatin , sed , follistatin , medicine , endocrinology , high intensity interval training , interval training , muscle hypertrophy
Lifelong exercise is associated with regulation of skeletal mass and function, reductions in frailty, and successful aging. Yet, the influence of exercise on myostatin and myostatin‐interacting factors is relatively under examined in older males. Therefore, we investigated whether serum total myostatin, free myostatin, follistatin, and growth and differentiation factor 11 ( GDF 11) were altered following high‐intensity interval training ( HIIT ) in a group of 13 lifelong sedentary ( SED ; 64 [6] years) and 11 lifelong exercising ( LEX ; 62 [6] years) older males. SED follistatin was moderately greater than LEX pre‐ HIIT (Cohen's d = 0.66), and was largely greater post‐ HIIT (Cohen's d = 1.22). The HIIT ‐induced increase in follistatin was large in SED (Cohen's d = 0.82) and absent in LEX (Cohen's d = 0.03). GDF 11 was higher in LEX pre‐ HIIT (Cohen's d = 0.49) and post‐ HIIT (Cohen's d = 0.63) compared to SED . HIIT resulted in no change to GDF 11 in LEX or SED (Cohen's d = 0.00–0.03). Peak power output and GDF 11 were correlated ( r = 0.603), independent of grouping. Differences in GDF 11 with lifelong exercise training, paired with the correlation between GDF 11 and peak power output, suggested that GDF 11 may be a relevant myostatin‐interacting peptide to successful aging in humans, and strategies to maintain this need to be further explored.