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Physical activity (PA), aerobic fitness, and cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) are highly heritable multifactorial phenotypes. Shared genetic factors may underlie the associations between higher levels of PA and better aerobic fitness and a lower risk for CMDs. We aimed to study how PA genotype associates with self-reported PA, aerobic fitness, cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases. PA genotype, which combined variation in over one million of gene variants, was composed using the SBayesR polygenic scoring methodology. First, we constructed a polygenic risk score for PA in the Trøndelag Health Study (N = 47,148) using UK Biobank single nucleotide polymorphism-specific weights (N = 400,124). The associations of the PA PRS and continuous variables were analysed using linear regression models and with CMD incidences using Cox proportional hazard models. The results showed that genotypes predisposing to higher amount of PA were associated with greater self-reported PA (Beta [B] = 0.282 MET-h/wk per SD of PRS for PA, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.211, 0.354) but not with aerobic fitness. These genotypes were also associated with healthier cardiometabolic profile (waist circumference [B = -0.003 cm, 95% CI = -0.004, -0.002], body mass index [B = -0.002 kg/m2, 95% CI = -0.004, -0.001], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [B = 0.004 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.002, 0.006]) and lower incidence of hypertensive diseases (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.951, 0.990), stroke (HR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.903, 0.978) and type 2 diabetes (HR = 0.94, 95 % CI = 0.902, 0.970). Observed associations were independent of self-reported PA. These results support earlier findings suggesting small pleiotropic effects between PA and CMDs and provide new evidence about associations of polygenic inheritance of PA and intermediate cardiometabolic risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced possibilities for activities of choice potentially threatening quality of life (QoL). We defined QoL resilience as maintaining high quality of life and studied whether walking speed, absence of loneliness, living arrangement, and stress-coping ability predict QoL resilience among older people. Methods: Community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old persons (n = 685) were interviewed and examined in 2017–2018 and were followed up during COVID-19 social distancing in 2020. We assessed QoL using the OPQOL-brief scale and set a cut-off for 'constant high' based on staying in the highest baseline quartile over the follow-up and categorized all others as having 'low/moderate'. Perceived restrictiveness of the social distancing recommendations was examined with one item and was categorized as 'yes' or 'no' restrictiveness. Results: Better stress-coping ability (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14–1.28) and not being lonely (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.48–4.63) increased the odds for constant high QoL from before to amid social distancing, and the odds did not differ according to the perceived restrictiveness of the social distancing recommendations. Higher walking speed predicted constant high QoL only among those perceiving restrictiveness (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.27). Living arrangement did not predict constant high QoL. Conclusion: During social distancing, psychosocial resources helped to maintain good QoL regardless how restrictive the social distancing recommendations were perceived to be. Better physical capacity was important for constant high QoL only among those perceiving restrictiveness presumably because it enabled replacing blocked activities with open outdoor physical activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Living alone is a risk factor for health decline in old age, especially when facing adverse events increasing vulnerability. Aim: We examined whether living alone is associated with higher post-fracture mortality risk. Methods: Participants were 190 men and 409 women aged 75 or 80 years at baseline. Subsequent fracture incidence and mortality were followed up for 15 years. Extended Cox regression analysis was used to compare the associations between living arrangements and mortality risk during the first post-fracture year and during the non-fracture time. All participants contributed to the non-fracture state until a fracture occurred or until death/end of follow-up if they did not sustain a fracture. Participants who sustained a fracture during the follow-up returned to the non-fracture state 1 year after the fracture unless they died or were censored due to end of follow-up. Results: Altogether, 22% of men and 40% of women sustained a fracture. During the first post-fracture year, mortality risk was over threefold compared to non-fracture time but did not differ by living arrangement. In women, living alone was associated with lower mortality risk during non-fracture time, but the association attenuated after adjustment for self-rated health. In men, living alone was associated with increased mortality risk during non-fracture time, although not significantly. Conclusion: The results suggest that living alone is not associated with pronounced mortality risk after a fracture compared to living with someone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study adaptations in body composition, physical fitness and metabolic health were examined during 21 weeks of endurance and/or strength training in 39- to 64-year-old healthy women. Subjects (n = 62) were randomized into endurance training (E), strength training (S), combined strength and endurance training (SE), or control groups (C). S and E trained 2 and SE 2 + 2 times in a week. Muscle strength and maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2)max) were measured. Leg extension strength increased 9 +/- 8% in S (P < 0.001), 12 +/- 8% in SE (P < 0.001) and 3 +/- 4% in E (P = 0.036), and isometric bench press 20% only in both S and SE (P < 0.001). VO(2)max increased 23 +/- 18% in E and 16 +/- 12% in SE (both P < 0.001). The changes in the total body fat (dual X-ray absorptiometry) did not differ between groups, but significant decreases were observed in E (-5.9%, P = 0.022) and SE (-4.8%, P = 0.005). Lean mass of the legs increased 2.2-2.9% (P = 0.004-0.010) in S, SE and E. There were no differences between the groups in the changes in blood lipids, blood pressure or serum glucose and insulin. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in E. Both S and SE showed small decreases in serum fasting insulin. Both endurance and strength training and their combination led to expected training-specific improvements in physical fitness, without interference in fitness or muscle mass development. All training methods led to increases in lean body mass, but decreases in body fat and modest improvements in metabolic risk factors were more evident with aerobic training than strength training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is known to be associated with mortality, but its association with age-related decline in physical functioning and the development of disability is less clear. This study examined the associations between LTL and physical functioning, and investigated whether LTL predicts level of physical functioning over an 11-year follow-up. Older mono- (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin sisters (n = 386) participated in the study. Relative LTL was measured by qPCR at baseline. Physical functioning was measured by 6-min walking distance and level of physical activity (PA). Walking distance was measured at baseline and at 3-year follow-up. PA was assessed by questionnaire at baseline and at 3- and 11-year follow-ups. The baseline analysis was performed with path models, adjusted with age and within-pair dependence of twin pairs. The longitudinal analysis was performed with a repeated measures linear model adjusted for age and longitudinal within-pair dependence. A nonrandom missing data analysis was utilized. At baseline, in all individuals, LTL was associated with PA (est. 0.14, SE 0.06, p = 0.011), but not with walking distance. Over the follow-up, a borderline significant association was observed between LTL and walking distance (est. 0.14, SE 0.07, p = 0.060) and a significant association between LTL and PA (est. 0.19, SE 0.06, p = 0.001). The results suggest that LTL is associated with PA and may, therefore, serve as a biomarker predicting the development of disability. Longitudinal associations between LTL and PA were observed only when nonrandom data missingness was taken into account in the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity recommendations for public health include typically muscle-strengthening activities for a minimum of 2 days a week. The range of inter-individual variation in responses to resistance training (RT) aiming to improve health and well-being requires to be investigated. The purpose of this study was to quantify high and low responders for RT-induced changes in muscle size and strength and to examine possible effects of age and sex on these responses. Previously collected data of untrained healthy men and women (age 19 to 78 years, n = 287 with 72 controls) were pooled for the present study. Muscle size and strength changed during RT are 4.8 ± 6.1 % (range from −11 to 30 %) and 21.1 ± 11.5 % (range from −8 to 60 %) compared to pre-RT, respectively. Age and sex did not affect to the RT responses. Fourteen percent and 12 % of the subjects were defined as high responders (>1 standard deviation (SD) from the group mean) for the RT-induced changes in muscle size and strength, respectively. When taking into account the results of non-training controls (upper 95 % CI), 29 and 7 % of the subjects were defined as low responders for the RT-induced changes in muscle size and strength, respectively. The muscle size and strength responses varied extensively between the subjects regardless of subject's age and sex. Whether these changes are associated with, e.g., functional capacity and metabolic health improvements due to RT requires further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Few studies have examined responsiveness of bioimpedance (BIA) to detect changes over time in body composition using a longitudinal design. Accuracy of BIA and skinfold thickness in estimating body composition among 39-64 year-old women was investigated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a criterion method both cross-sectionally and during a training intervention. Methods: 97 women had percentage of fat assessed using DXA, skinfolds and eight-polar BIA using multi-frequency current. Fat mass and lean mass were estimated by DXA and BIA. Measurements were performed before and after the 21-week training intervention. Results: At baseline relative to DXA, BIA under predicted percentage of fat (−6.50 %) and fat mass (−3.42 kg) and overestimated lean mass (3.18 kg) considerably. Also skinfold measurement under predicted percentage of fat compared to DXA, but the difference was smaller (−1.69 % units). Skinfold measurement overestimated percentage of fat at low values and underestimated at high values ( r = 0.535). A significant bias was detected between DXA and BIA's estimate of change in percentage of fat, fat mass and lean mass. Compared to DXA, BIA and skinfolds underestimated the training-induced positive changes in body composition. Conclusions: BIA and skinfold methods compared to DXA are not interchangeable to quantify the percentage of fat, fat mass and lean mass at the cross-sectional design in middle-aged women. Moreover, exercise training-induced small changes in body composition cannot be detected with BIA or skinfold method, even though DXA was able to measure statistically significant within-group changes in body composition after training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the European multi-centre MyoAge project, one workpackage was designed to investigate the contribution of age-related changes to muscle mass, contractile characteristics and neural control in relation to reductions in mobility in older age. The methodology has been described here. Test centres were located in Manchester, UK; Paris, France; Leiden, The Netherlands; Tartu, Estonia and Jyväskylä, Finland. In total, 182 young (18-30 years old, 52.2 % female) and 322 older adults (69-81 years old, 50 % female) have been examined. The participants were independent living, socially active and free from disease that impaired mobility levels. The older participants were selected based on physical activity levels, such that half exceeded current recommended physical activity levels and the other half had lower physical activity levels than is recommended to maintain health. Measurements consisted of blood pressure; anthropometry and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging); lung function; standing balance and cognitive function (CANTAB). Mobility was assessed using the Timed Up and Go, a 6 min walk, activity questionnaires and accelerometers to monitor habitual daily activities. Muscle strength, power, fatigue and neural activation were assessed using a combination of voluntary and electrically stimulated contractions. Fasting blood samples and skeletal muscle biopsies were collected for detailed examination of cell and molecular differences between young and older individuals. The results from this study will provide a detailed insight into 'normal, healthy' ageing, linking whole-body function to the structure and function of the neuromuscular system and the molecular characteristics of skeletal muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]