Skeletal muscle phosphocreatine recovery after submaximal exercise in children and young and middle-aged adults

Abstract

Context: Elderly subjects have reduced mitochondrial function. However, it remains unclear whether the decline in mitochondrial function begins earlier in the life span.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by (31)phosphorous-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) across a variety of age groups.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study of 121 healthy normal-weight and overweight individuals from age 8 to 55 yr.

Setting: The study was conducted at a single university medical center in Boston, MA.

Participants: Participants included 68 children and 53 adults from the Boston community.

Interventions and main outcome measures: Phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery was evaluated by (31)phosphorous-MRS after submaximal exercise. Subjects were also evaluated with anthropometric measurements, metabolic profiles, and measures of physical activity.

Results: PCr recovery determined by (31)phosphorous-MRS is positively associated with age in univariate analysis in a cohort of individuals aged 8-55 yr (r = +0.55, P < 0.0001). Stratification of subjects into four age groups (prepubertal and early pubertal children, pubertal and postpubertal children < 18 yr, young adults aged 18-39 yr, and middle aged adults aged 40-55 yr) demonstrates prolongation of PCr recovery with increasing age across the four groups (P < 0.0001 by ANOVA). The relationship between PCr recovery and age remains strong when controlling for gender; race; ethnicity; body mass index; measures of physical activity and inactivity; and anthropometric, nutritional, and metabolic parameters (P < 0.004).

Conclusions: Skeletal muscle PCr recovery measured by (31)phosphorous-MRS is prolonged with age, even in children and young adults.

Figures

Figure 1

A, τPCr is positively associated with age on univariate analysis (R = +0.55; P < 0.0001) among all subjects (n = 121). B, τPCr is higher across increasing age groups. Subjects were divided into prepubertal/early pubertal children (n = 23); pubertal/postpubertal adolescents less than 18 yr old (n = 45); young adults 18–39 yr old (n = 22); and middle-aged adults 40–55 yr old (n = 31). Groups are significantly different by overall ANOVA (P < 0.0001). All groups are significantly different from each other by Student’s t test (P < 0.05).