ONLINE DRIVERS MEDIA

Brain builders and muscle builders are similarly effective DNA protectors in the elderly.

As a SuppVersity reader you wont be surprised to hear that Bernhard Franzke and his colleagues from the University of Vienna were able to confirm that resistance training can improve the resistance of human DNA to H2O2 damage in institutionalised elderly. What may be news to you, though, is that very similar effects can be achieved by cognitive training in form of coordinative or cognitive tasks that were performed only two times per week by the 105 institutionalised elderly women and men (aged 65–98 years) the scientists recruited from five different senior residences in the area of Vienna (Franzke. 2014).
In the recent Austrian study, the subjects had been randomized to three groups. The previously described cognitive training group, which also served as a "control", as well as two resistance training groups.

"The RT groups (RT and RTS) performed two sessions of RT per week, supervised by a sport scientist, conducted on two non-consecutive days. Training attendance was recorded every session. The only equipment used was exercise bands and a chair. [...] The main part consisted of 10 exercises for the main muscle groups (legs, back, abdomen, chest, shoulder and arms). One training session started with 10 min of warm-up, continued with 30–40 min of strength training and ended with a 10-min cool-down. To keep the training stimulus high enough, the exercise program was adjusted to the participants’ individual needs, by either adapting the resistance of the elastic band (shorter or stronger band) or by modifying the exercise, by means of performing a more diffiult version. In the initial phase (4 weeks) one set of 15 repetitions was performed in order to learn the correct form of each exercise. From the fifth week on, the intensity and volume were progressively increased from two sets of light exercises to two sets of heavy resistance. If the participants could easily perform two sets of 15 repetitions they were told either to take more resistance or to perform a more difficult version of the exercise" (Franzke. 2014).

In contrast to the RT group, which did "nothing", but the previously described resistance training regimen, the subjects in the RTS group consumed a multi-ingredient supplement every morning, as well as directly after each training session. Said supplement consisted of 20.7g protein [56 energy (En) %, 19.7g whey protein, 3 g leucine, >10 g essential amino acids], 9.3 g carbohydrates (25 En%, 0.8 BE); 3.0 g fat (18 En%), 1.2 g roughage (2 En%), 800 IU (20 ?g) of vitamin D, 250 mg calcium, vitamins C, E, B6 and B12, folic acid and magnesium (one portion FortiFit, Nutricia with a total energy content per drink of only 150 kcal).

Figure 1: Changes in parameters of DNA damage and antioxidant enzyme expression (Franzke. 2014).

In spite of the fact that the intake of the nutritional supplement was controlled at breakfast as well as after the training sessions, it did not provide significant additional benefits on top of the regular resistance training protocol.

We should keep in mind, though, that (a) non-significant benefits were visible for the formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG) and the expression of superoxide dismutase and that (b) the actual benefits of protein supplements would have become visible only if the scientists had accessed the changes in body composition, as well.
References:

• Franzke, B. et al. "The impact of six months strength training, nutritional supplementation or cognitive training on DNA damage in institutionalised elderly." Mutagenesis (2015):147–153.

Maximal protein synthesis requires protein, but how much exactly you need will depend on your age - the older you are the more PWO protein youll need.

Scientists from the University of Auckland were fed up with the lack of information about the differential response in protein synthesis in response to the ingestion of various amounts of protein. Accordingly, Randall F. D’Souza et al. conducted a study to characterize the changes in intramuscular levels of EAAs and BCAAs and the expression of the "protein pump" p70S6K at Thr389, a marker of protein synthesis, in response to resistance exercise and graded ingestion of whey protein in older men.

As a regular SuppVersity reader you will probably already think: "Where is the actual measurement of the fractional protein synthesis?" The unfortunate answer: Its not there.
Previous research had show that the ingestion of graded amounts of high-quality protein such as whey after resistance will maximize with "only" 20g of egg protein (Moore. 2009) or whey (Witard. 2014) in young men. Multiple studies in older adults (>60 years), on the other hand, suggest that they exhibit a lower anabolic signaling and MPS response to protein feeding, resistance exercise, and the combination of feeding and exercise when compared to young men (Cuthbertson. 2005; Fry. 2011; Burd. 2013). Scientists call this phenomenon age-related "anabolic resistance" (Yang. 2012b).

Figure 1: In contrast to the fractional protein synthesis in the elderly, which increases with increasing amounts of protein, the FSR of young men shows a ceiling effect at 20g+ whey protein (Yang. 2012a; Moore. 2009)

As you can see in Figure 1 from a 2012 study by Yang, the same 20g of extra-whey (total dose 40g) that was useless in young men, lead to a significant increase in protein anabolism in elderly men. Compared to young men, the MPS response to feeding 40 g of protein was yet still slightly lower in older vs. count men (Yang. 2012a; Churchward Venne. 2013b).

What is particularly relevant for the study at hand, and the previously criticized absence of actual MPS measurements is the fact that deficits in feeding induced p70S6K phosphorylation may at least partially underpin anabolic resistance in aged skeletal muscle (Cuthbertson. 2005), which is why measuring the p70S6K phosphorylation in older human subjects (mean age 71 years) in response to the graded ingestion of whey protein after a leg workout consisting of three sets of 8–10 repetitions of bilateral barbell smith rack squat, 45°leg press, and seated knee extensions at 80% of the subjects predetermined 1R is not as irrelevant at it may initially have seemed.

Workout + supplements, thats the "whey to go" ;-)

The exercises were performed in a circuit manner with 1 min rest between each exercise and 3 min rest between subsequent sets, the exercise protocol took approximately 20 min to complete. Following completion of the exercise protocol, subjects were immediately provided with a fixed-volume (350 mL) beverage, containing a flavored noncaloric placebo, or oneof the four doses of whey protein concentrate (10 g, 20 g, 30 g, or 40 g).

Figure 2: Intramuscular amino acids. This figure is a heat map which shows groups means fold changes from the resting fasted condition. Green represents a decrease in amino acid content, white represents no change, and red represents an increase in amino acid content (D’Souza. 2014)

Subjects were instructed to ingest the beverage within 2 min and were required to ingest the total volume provided. Following consumption of the supplements, subjects rested in a supine position throughout the 4 h of post-exercise recovery with additional muscle biopsy samples collected at 2 and 4 h post exercise.

Figure 3: Higher protein intake = higher increase in p70S6K phosphorylation (left graph). This increase is linearly associated with intramuscular leucine levels (right graph | both from D’Souza. 2014)

As you can see in Figure 3, there was a similar dose-dependent increase in p70S6K as it was observed previously for MPS in skeletal muscle of elderly subjects by Yang et al. (2012b). In fact, the fold change in the phosphorylation of p70S6K (Thr389) at 2 h post exercise was correlated with the dose of whey protein consumed (r =0.51,P<001) and was found to be significantly correlated with intramuscular leucine content (r =0.32,P=0.026).

Moreover, the intramuscular BCAAs, and leucine in particular, appear to be important regulators of anabolic signaling in aged human muscle during post-exercise recovery via reversal of exercise-induced declines in intramuscular BCAAs.
References:

• Burd, N. A., S. H. Gorissen, and L. J. van Loon. 2013.  Anabolic resistance of muscle protein synthesis with aging. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 41:169–173.
• Churchward-Venne, T. A., N. A. Burd, C. J. Mitchell, D. W. West, A. Philp, G. R. Marcotte, et al. 2012. Supplementation of a suboptimal protein dose with leucine or essential amino acids: effects on myofibrillar protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in men. J. Physiol. 590:2751–2765.
• DSouza, Randall F., et al. 2014. Dose?dependent increases in p70S6K phosphorylation and intramuscular branched?chain amino acids in older men following resistance exercise and protein intake. Physiological Reports 2.8: e12112.
• Churchward-Venne, T. A., L. Breen, and S. M. Phillips. 2013a. Alterations in human muscle protein metabolism with aging: protein and exercise as countermeasures to offset sarcopenia. BioFactors 40:199–205.
• Churchward-Venne, T. A., C. H. Murphy, T. M. Longland, and S. M. Phillips. 2013b. Role of protein and amino acids in promoting lean mass accretion with resistance exercise
  and attenuating lean mass loss during energy deficit in humans. Amino Acids 45:231–240.
• Churchward-Venne, T. A., L. Breen, D. M. Di Donato, A. J. Hector, C. J. Mitchell, D. R. Moore, et al. 2014. Leucine supplementation of a low-protein mixed macronutrient beverage enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis in young men: a double-blind, randomized trial.
  Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 99:276–286.
• Cuthbertson, D., K. Smith, J. Babraj, G. Leese, T. Waddell, P. Atherton, et al. 2005. Anabolic signaling deficits underlie amino acid resistance of wasting, aging muscle. FASEB J. 19:422–424.
• Moore, D. R., M. J. Robinson, J. L. Fry, J. E. Tang, E. I. Glover, S. B. Wilkinson, et al. 2009. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 89:161–168.
• West, D. W., and K. Baar. 2013. May the Force move you: TSC-ing the mechanical activation of mTOR. J. Physiol. 591:4369–4370.
• West, D. W., N. A. Burd, J. E. Tang, D. R. Moore, A. W. Staples, A. M. Holwerda, et al. 2009a. Elevations in ostensibly anabolic hormones with resistance exercise enhance neither training-induced muscle hypertrophy nor strength of the elbow flexors. J. Appl. Physiol. 108:60–67 .
• West, D. W., G. W. Kujbida, D. R. Moore, P. Atherton, N. A. Burd, J. P. Padzik, et al. 2009b. Resistance exercise-induced increases in putative anabolic hormones do not enhance muscle protein synthesis or intracellular signalling in young men. J. Physiol. 587:5239–5247.
• Witard, O. C., S. R. Jackman, L. Breen, K. Smith, A. Selby, and K. D. Tipton. 2014. Myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis rates subsequent to a meal in response to increasing doses of whey protein at rest and after resistance exercise. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 99:86–95
• Yang, Y., L. Breen, N. A. Burd, A. J. Hector, T. A. Churchward-Venne, A. R. Josse, et al. 2012a. Resistance exercise enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis with graded intakes of whey protein in older men. Br. J. Nutr. 108:1780–1788.
• Yang, Y., T. A. Churchward-Venne, N. A. Burd, L. Breen, M. A. Tarnopolsky, and S. M. Phillips. 2012b. Myofibrillar protein synthesis following ingestion of soy protein isolate at rest and after resistance exercise in elderly men. Nutr. Metab. 9:57.