Strength training for frail older adults: effects on physical function and health.

This post is a PhD building on work started as part of our current Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Early Stage Research Training Network – PANINI (Physical Activity and Nutrition INfluences In ageing) but is not funded by this network.

Current demographic trends indicate that by the year 2020 almost 1 in 5 of the European population will be aged 65 and over and the number of people over 85 will triple by 2050. Although life expectancy is increasing by 2 years per decade, the period of life spent in good health is not keeping pace and most Europeans spend their last decade in poor health. Consequently, the need to understand the factors influencing health in old age and develop and validate interventions and health policies to ensure more of our older adults achieve healthy and active ageing, has never been more urgent and is a cross-cutting research priority in Europe. However, despite the considerable impact of lifestyle factors on healthy ageing, there is a surprising lack of multi-disciplinary research (i.e. integrating biology, psychology, physiology) examining their influence on the ageing process.

The objectives of this PhD are to examine the impact of physical activity in older adults with pre-existing frailty and limited mobility and independence levels. Building on our protocol design for an intervention in older adults based in care facilities, Study 1 will be a feasibility study that will recruit dependent older adults living in a health care setting to a research-evidence based seated physical activity intervention using state of the art resistance training equipment suitable for older adults compared to a matched wait-list control group. The intervention is planned to be 3 times a week for 6 weeks. This study will extend to comprehensive pre- and post-intervention assessment of biomarkers of health and wellbeing including markers of endocrine function and inflammation status (including key inflammaging markers such as cortisol:DHEA ratio and C-reactive protein, inflammatory cytokines, IFNγ, IL-1β, TNFα), muscle function, physical function, psychological and social health. The feasibility of the intervention will also be assessed using qualitative techniques in order to examine the suitability and acceptability of the intervention, the measures used, and the potential sample size needed for a follow-up clinical trial.