Exercise-induced Changes in DNA-methylation

The Effect of Exercise on Maximal Aerobic Capacity, DNA-methylation and Gene Expression in Healthy Elderly Men

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether regular moderate- or high-intensity interval training can change the DNA methylation in a long-lasting state, and whether these changes affect the gene expression. In addition, the investigators will determine whether the intensity of the training could be an affecting factor of the possible DNA-methylation change as well. The null hypothesis was that no such exercise-induced changes occur.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: High-intensity interval training; Behavioral: Moderate training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 37
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Trondheim, Norway
    • Institute for Circulation and Medical Imaging, NTNU

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 70 years to 75 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male
• 70-75 years old
• Signed written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Incompatible with exercise
• Known cardiac disease
• Active cancer
• Significant pulmonary disease
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Use of blood thinning medicine (except Albyl-E)
• Drug abuse
• Alcohol abuse
• Finishing less than 80% of the exercise sessions (this complies to the training groups)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High-intensity interval training; The High-intensity interval training group was instructed to complete exercise sessions of 4x4-minutes intervals at 85-95% of maximal heart rate, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. This type of exercise include 10 minutes warm-up, followed by four intervals of four minutes high-intensity (85-95% of HRmax), with three minutes active breaks (70% of HRmax) between each interval, and ending with seven minutes cool-down. An exercise session last for 42 minutes, where the participants should breathe heavily and feel exhausted four times.	Behavioral: High-intensity interval training; Interval training 3 times a week for 8 weeks
Active Comparator: Moderate training; The moderate training group was instructed to complete exercise sessions of 50 minutes at 70% of maximal heart rate, 3 times a week for 8 weeks.	Behavioral: Moderate training; Moderate training 3 times a week for 8 weeks
No Intervention: Control; The control group followed the baseline and follow-up tests, and was asked to live normally and not change their dietary pattern or exercise habits during their participation in this project. Based on the well-known beneficial effects of exercise on general health, it was regarded unethical to demand the control group to desist from any types of physical activity during the project period. They got no further follow-up on exercise.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
DNA-methylation	From the skeletal muscle biopsies RNA and DNA was isolated, DNA was further bi-sulfite converted and DNA-methylation was analyzed using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. The RNA was further used for gene expression analyses by real-time RTqPCR.	8 weeks
Gene Expression		8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal Aerobic Capacity	measured on treadmill at baseline and after eight weeks, also biopsies from Vastus lateralis were sampled.	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• Collaborators: St. Olavs Hospital
• Investigators: Study Director: Ulrik Wisløff, Professor, National Taiwan Normal University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 28, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): August 29, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2019
• Last Verified: May 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; High-intensity interval training; Gene expression; Skeletal muscle; subjects; Moderate training; DNA-methylation; Healthy elderly
• Other Study ID Numbers: EPI-GEN100

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No