Active older dancers have lower C-terminal Agrin fragment concentration, better balance and gait performance than sedentary peers

Marcolin, Giuseppe; Franchi, Martino V.; Monti, Elena; Pizzichemi, Martina; Sarto, Fabio; Sirago, Giuseppe; Paoli, Antonio; Maggio, Marcello; Zampieri, Sandra; Narici, Marco V.

doi:10.1016/j.exger.2021.111469

Cited by 11 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Indeed, OS displayed a worse FB and GB than the young cohorts and a worse FiB than YA. Although no differences were detected between OA and all the other groups, in a previous study ( Marcolin et al, 2021 ), including a sub-set of the present sample, significant differences comparing only OA and OS emerged for all the DPBC parameters with large effects sizes.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 84%

“…Besides the mechanisms mentioned above by which PA positively influences PBC ( Paillard, 2017a ), in dynamic conditions, compensatory postural actions are also facilitated by increased lower-extremity muscle power ( Paillard, 2017b ). Moreover, in a recent study from our laboratory, we found an association between neuromuscular junction damage and dynamic balance impairment ( Marcolin et al, 2021 ). Since physical exercise is well known to promote both muscle power ( Ramsey et al, 2021 ) and neuromuscular junction stability ( Pratt et al, 2020 ) in older adults, PA-induced preservation of muscle power and neuromuscular junction health status in OA may contribute to explaining our findings in DPBC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…A sub-set of the present SPBC and DPBC datasets presented in this work has been presented elsewhere ( Sarto et al, 2020 ; Marcolin et al, 2021 ). Participants have been asked to visit the laboratory twice.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physical active lifestyle promotes static and dynamic balance performance in young and older adults

et al. 2022

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Although regular physical activity exposure leads to positive postural balance control (PBC) adaptations, few studies investigated its effects, or the one of inactivity, on PBC in populations of different age groups. Thus, this study investigated the impact of a physically active lifestyle on static and dynamic PBC in young and older adults. Thirty-five young physically active subjects (YA), 20 young sedentary subjects (YS), 16 physically active older adults (OA), and 15 sedentary older adults (OS) underwent a static and a dynamic PBC assessment. A force platform and an instrumented proprioceptive board were employed to measure the center of pressure (COP) trajectory and the anteroposterior oscillations, respectively. In static conditions, no significant differences were detected among groups considering the overall postural balance performance represented by the area of confidence ellipse values. Conversely, the YA highlighted a higher efficiency (i.e., lower sway path mean velocity) in PBC maintenance compared to the other groups (YA vs OA: p = 0.0057, Cohen’s d = 0.94; YA vs OS p = 0.043, d = 1.07; YA vs YS p = 0.08, d = 0.67). OS exhibited an overall worse performance in dynamic conditions than YA and YS. Surprisingly, no differences were found between YS and OA for all the static and dynamic parameters considered. In conclusion, our results suggest that a physically active lifestyle may promote static and dynamic balance performance in young and older adults, thus with potentially positive effects on the age-related decline of postural balance performance. Dynamic PBC assessment seems more sensitive in detecting differences between groups than the static evaluation.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

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Physical active lifestyle promotes static and dynamic balance performance in young and older adults

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“…A priori power analysis was performed based on the changes in CAF concentration to determine the convenient sample size. For an effect size calculated based on our previous work [25], a required power (1 − β) of 0.8 and an error α = 0.05, the total sample size resulted in 14 subjects for OA and 18 for OD. Therefore, the partici- pants recruited in this work represented an appropriate sample.…”

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, other studies reported opposite findings with unchanged [22,23] or increased [24] CAF concentration after training interventions. Our laboratory has previously speculated that, in older adults, activities that require high levels of motor coordination and challenge the trainee with sensory and cognitive stimuli could be particularly effective in the preservation of the NMJ health [25]. To this extent, dancing is a form of physical activity that promotes neuroprotection and requires the integration of sensory information from multiple channels and whole-body finegrained motor control [26][27][28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuromuscular Aging: A Case for the Neuroprotective Effects of Dancing

et al. 2022

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Aim: We planned a cross-sectional investigation (study 1) and a longitudinal training intervention (study 2) to investigate whether recreational dancing affords greater neuroprotective effects against age-related neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degeneration compared to general fitness exercise training. Methods: In study 1, we recruited 19 older volunteers regularly practising dancing (older dancers [OD]) and 15 recreationally physically active older individuals (OA) and physical performance, muscle morphology, muscle function, and NMJ stability (from serum C-terminal agrin fragment [CAF] concentration) were assessed. In study 2, employing a longitudinal study design in a different cohort (composed of 37 older adults), we aimed to study whether a 6-month dancing intervention decreased CAF concentration compared to general fitness exercise training in older adults. Results: Our findings show that OD had a lower CAF concentration (suggesting an increased NMJ stability) compared to OA. This result was accompanied by superior functional performance despite no differences in muscle size. In study 2, we observed a reduction in CAF concentration only in the dancing group. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest that dancing is an effective training modality to promote neuroprotection and increase muscle function in healthy older individuals.

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Effects of a 2‐year exercise training on neuromuscular system health in older individuals with low muscle function

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et al. 2023

J cachexia sarcopenia muscle

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Background Ageing is accompanied by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, potentially determining the insurgence of sarcopenia. Evidence suggests that motoneuron and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degeneration contribute to sarcopenia pathogenesis. Seeking for strategies able to slow down sarcopenia insurgence and progression, we investigated whether a 2-year mixed-model training involving aerobic, strength and balance exercises would be effective for improving or preserving motoneuronal health and NMJ stability, together with muscle mass, strength and functionality in an old, sarcopenic population. Methods Forty-five sarcopenic elderly (34 females; 11 males) with low dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) lean mass and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score <9 were randomly assigned to either a control group [Healthy Aging Lifestyle Education (HALE), n = 21] or an intervention group [MultiComponent Intervention (MCI), n = 24]. MCI trained three times per week for 2 years with a mix of aerobic, strength and balance exercises matched with nutritional advice. Before and after the intervention, ultrasound scans of the vastus lateralis (VL), SPPB and a blood sample were obtained. VL architecture [pennation angle (PA) and fascicle length (Lf)] and cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured. As biomarkers of neuronal health and NMJ stability status, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) concentrations were measured in serum. Differences in ultrasound parameters, NfL and CAF concentration and physical performance between baseline and follow-up were tested with mixed ANOVA or Wilcoxon test. The relationship between changes in physical performance and NfL or CAF concentration was assessed through correlation analyses. Results At follow-up, MCI showed preserved VL architecture (PA, Lf) despite a reduced CSA (À8.4%, P < 0.001), accompanied by maintained CAF concentration and ameliorated overall SPPB performance (P = 0.007). Conversely, HALE showed 12.7% decrease in muscle CSA (P < 0.001), together with 5.1% and 5.5% reduction in PA and Lf (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively), and a 6.2% increase in CAF (P = 0.009) but improved SPPB balance score (P = 0.007). NfL concentration did not change in either group. In the population, negative correlations between changes in CAF concentration and SPPB total score were found (P = 0.047), whereas no correlation between NfL and SPPB variations was observed. Conclusions The present findings suggest that our 2-year mixed aerobic, strength and balance training seemed effective for preventing the age and sarcopenia-related increases in CAF concentration, preserving NMJ stability as well as muscle structure (PA and Lf) and improving physical performance in sarcopenic older individuals.

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Active older dancers have lower C-terminal Agrin fragment concentration, better balance and gait performance than sedentary peers

Cited by 11 publications

References 67 publications

Physical active lifestyle promotes static and dynamic balance performance in young and older adults

Physical active lifestyle promotes static and dynamic balance performance in young and older adults

Neuromuscular Aging: A Case for the Neuroprotective Effects of Dancing

Effects of a 2‐year exercise training on neuromuscular system health in older individuals with low muscle function

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