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Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Postprandial exercise attenuates glucose and insulin and is associated with age, cognitive function, and
Michael A Petrie1, Kristin A Johnson1,2, Patrick M McCue1
1Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Abstract:
Postprandial exercise attenuates glucose/insulin and is recommended for people with metabolic disease. The magnitude of the attenuation has not been directly compared in healthy older and younger people, who are active exercisers, or correlated to biomarkers associated with aging like body water ratios and cognitive function. We determined whether a dose of prescribed exercise attenuated postprandial insulin and glucose in younger and older participants; then, we determined if age, cognitive function, and extracellular to intracellular body water levels (ECW/ICW) were associated with that attenuation. Thirty-six people, 19 younger adults (seven female) and 17 older adults (nine female), had blood samples taken after a standardized meal followed by exercise or quiet sitting. Participants completed the National Institutes of Health Toolbox assessing cognitive function and had their anthropometrics assessed including ECW/ICW. Postprandial exercise decreased insulin and glucose in younger and older adults compared to postprandial sitting (p < 0.001, p = 0.003). There were strong correlations between the extent of the metabolic response after exercise and age, ECW/ICW, and cognitive function. Our results highlight that postprandial exercise reduced insulin and glucose among young and old active exercisers and this change was associated with a person's cognitive function and body water compartment ratio (ECW/ICW).
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