Abstract:Creatine supplementation in close proximity to resistance training may be an important strategy for increasing muscle mass and strength; however, it is unknown whether creatine supplementation before or after resistance training is more effective for aging adults. Using a double-blind, repeated measures design, older adults (50-71 years) were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: creatine before (CR-B: n = 15; creatine (0.1 g/kg) immediately before resistance training and placebo (0.1 g/kg cornstarch maltodextrin) immediately after resistance training), creatine after (CR-A: n = 12; placebo immediately before resistance training and creatine immediately after resistance training), or placebo (PLA: n = 12; placebo immediately before and immediately after resistance training) for 32 weeks. Prior to and following the study, body composition (lean tissue, fat mass; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and muscle strength (1-repetition maximum leg press and chest press) were assessed. There was an increase over time for lean tissue mass and muscle strength and a decrease in fat mass (p < 0.05). CR-A resulted in greater improvements in lean tissue mass (⌬ 3.0 ± 1.9 kg) compared with PLA (⌬ 0.5 ± 2.1 kg; p < 0.025). Creatine supplementation, independent of the timing of ingestion, increased muscle strength more than placebo (leg press: CR-B, ⌬ 36.6 ± 26.6 kg; CR-A, ⌬ 40.8 ± 38.4 kg; PLA, ⌬ 5.6 ± 35.1 kg; chest press: CR-B, ⌬ 15.2 ± 13.0 kg; CR-A, ⌬ 15.7 ± 12.5 kg; PLA, ⌬ 1.9 ± 14.7 kg; p < 0.025). Compared with resistance training alone, creatine supplementation improves muscle strength, with greater gains in lean tissue mass resulting from post-exercise creatine supplementation.Key words: aging, sarcopenia, timing, muscle mass, strength, strategies.Résumé : La supplémentation en créatine associée de près à l'entraînement en résistance pourrait s'avérer une stratégie importante pour accroître la masse musculaire et la force; toutefois, on ne sait pas si la supplémentation en créatine est plus efficace avant ou après une séance d'entraînement en résistance chez des personnes âgées. On répartit aléatoirement des personnes âgées (50-71 ans) selon un devis à double insu avec mesures répétées dans l'un des trois groupes suivants : (i) créatine avant (CR-B: n = 15; créatine (0,1 g/kg) immédiatement avant l'entraînement en résistance et placebo (0,1 g/kg de maltodextrine d'amidon de maïs) immédiatement après l'entraînement en résistance), (ii) créatine après (CR-A: n = 12; placebo immédiatement avant l'entraînement en résistance et créatine immédiatement après l'entraînement en résistance) ou (iii) placebo (PLA: n = 12; placebo immédiatement avant et immédiatement après l'entraînement en résistance); l'intervention est d'une durée de 32 semaines. Avant et après l'intervention, on évalue la composition corporelle (masse maigre, masse adipeuse, absorptiométrie à rayons X en double énergie) et la force musculaire (1RM au développé couché et des jambes). Au long de l'intervention, on observe une augmentation de la masse maigre et de...

Background: The combination of creatine supplementation and resistance training (10–12 weeks) has been shown to increase bone mineral content and reduce a urinary indicator of bone resorption in older males compared with placebo. However, the longer-term effects (12 months) of creatine and resistance training on bone mineral density and bone geometric properties in older males is unknown. Aim: To assess the effects of 12 months of creatine supplementation and supervised, whole-body resistance training on bone mineral density, bone geometric properties, muscle accretion, and strength in older males. Methods: Participants were randomized to supplement with creatine ( n = 18, 49–69 years, 0.1 g·kg-1·d-1) or placebo ( n = 20, 49–67 years, 0.1 g·kg-1·d-1) during 12 months of supervised, whole-body resistance training. Results: After 12 months of training, both groups experienced similar changes in bone mineral density and geometry, bone speed of sound, lean tissue and fat mass, muscle thickness, and muscle strength. There was a trend ( p = 0.061) for creatine to increase the section modulus of the narrow part of the femoral neck, an indicator of bone bending strength, compared with placebo. Adverse events did not differ between creatine and placebo. Conclusions: Twelve months of creatine supplementation and supervised, whole-body resistance training had no greater effect on measures of bone, muscle, or strength in older males compared with placebo.

Ballistocardiography (BCG) is a non-invasive technology that has been used to record ultra-low-frequency vibrations of the heart allowing for the measurement of cardiac cycle events including timing and amplitudes of contraction. Recent developments in BCG have made this technology simple to use, as well as time- and cost-efficient in comparison with other more complicated and invasive techniques used to evaluate cardiac performance. Recent technological advances are considerably greater since the advent of microprocessors and laptop computers. Along with the history of BCG, this paper reviews the present and future potential benefits of using BCG to measure cardiac cycle events and its application to clinical and applied research.

The ingestion of whey protein immediately before the start of exercise and again after each training set has no effect on muscle mass and strength in untrained young adults.

BackgroundPostmenopausal women typically experience accelerated muscle loss which has a negative effect on strength. The maximum daily recommended dosage of ibuprofen (1,200 mg) following resistance exercise has been shown to increase muscle hypertrophy and strength in older adults. This study aimed to determine the effects of low-dose ibuprofen (400 mg) immediately following resistance exercise sessions on muscle mass and strength in postmenopausal women.MethodsParticipants were randomized to ingest ibuprofen (IBU: n = 15, 57.8 ± 5.1 years, 75.9 ± 9.0 kg, 165.9 ± 6.2 cm, BMI = 28 ± 4 kg/m2) or placebo (PLA: n = 13, 56.5 ± 4.4 years, 73.0 ± 10.4 kg, 163.1 ± 5.9 cm, BMI = 26 ± 9 kg/m2) immediately following resistance exercise (11 whole-body exercises), which was performed 3 days/week, on nonconsecutive days, for 9 weeks. Prior to and following training, measures were taken for lean tissue mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), muscle size of the elbow and knee flexors and extensors and ankle dorsiflexors and plantar flexors (ultrasound), and strength (one-repetition maximum leg press and chest press).ResultsOver the 9 weeks of training, there were significant changes (p < 0.05) in lean tissue mass (IBU, −1.1 ± 1.0 kg; PLA, −0.7 ± 1.4 kg), muscle size of the knee extensors (IBU, 0.3 ± 0.6 cm; PLA, 0.2 ± 0.7 cm), ankle dorsiflexors (IBU, 0.5 ± 0.8 cm; PLA, 0.1 ± 0.5 cm), and ankle plantar flexors (IBU, 0.3 ± 0.9 cm; PLA, 0.5 ± 0.9 cm), leg press strength (IBU, 20.6 ± 18.0 kg; PLA, 20.0 ± 20.0 kg), and chest press strength (IBU, 5.1 ± 9.5 kg; PLA, 8.1 ± 7.6 kg), with no differences between groups.ConclusionLow-dose ibuprofen following resistance exercise has no greater effect on muscle mass or strength over exercise alone in postmenopausal women.