Investigating Dietary Approaches to Improve Muscle Health

The maintenance of good muscles health provides a key aspect of general health. Reduced muscle health is associated with both ageing and a range of diseases. In addition, improved muscle strength is highly important in a variety of sports (particularly in body building and endurance training) to increase muscle mass, size and strength (muscular hypertrophy). Although physical exercise is widely considered the best way to enhance or maintain good muscle health, increasing interest has focused on dietary approaches to improve muscle health. One such dietary approach includes the consumption of medium chain fatty acids to enhance muscle health¹, and to control age-related muscle deterioration². Initial interest in these molecules was due to the metabolism of the fats to generate ketones, thought to supply and source energy unrelated to glucose-based metabolism^{3, 4}. However, recent research by our group and others have identified a range of specific molecular mechanisms for medium chain fatty acids in various medicinal roles independent of ketone generation^{4, 5, 6}. These discoveries question the role of ketogenesis in causing the beneficial effects of medium chain fatty acid consumption, and thus it remains unclear how these fatty acids function in maintaining or improving muscle strength.

This project will involve an interdisciplinary research approach aiming to investigate the role of medium chain fatty acids in muscle heath at cellular and molecular level. The project will employ a range of molecular cell biology approaches to characterise effects of medium chain fatty acids on a variety of muscle cell types, and related cells with disease associated modifications. The research will investigate mechanism of fatty acid in regulating transcriptional effects, protein levels, fatty acid metabolism, cell signaling mechanisms, and various readouts for cellular health.

The outcome of this project will be a clear understanding of potential benefits of dietary medium chain fatty acid in improving muscle health, with broad impact relating to improved general health, improved sport fitness, and in potential therapeutic roles in ageing and diseases associated with reduced muscle function.

This will be highly competitive studentship, and applicants with a Masters degree in the area of molecular or cell biology are particularly encouraged to apply.