Researchers at Tufts University and Harvard Medical School have discovered that gut microbiota may be involved in mechanisms that affect muscle strength in the elderly.
The team examined
healthy and unhealthy elderly people and found that both groups had different profiles of gut microbiota. Further experiments with mice have shown an association between gut microbiota and muscle strength.
Their findings were published online in the journal Experimental Gerontology.
Gut microbeta related to muscle strength
The relationship between gut muscle axis, or gut microbiota, and muscle mass and function has been investigated in mice and young adults in the past. However, some studies have been done on the elderly.
To gain insights into this population, the team enrolled 18 physically active adults aged 70-85 with 11 inactive adults with good physique and poor physique. After comparing participants' bacterial profiles, they found higher levels of peritolic, pretilla, barnicella, and barnicillin tesnehumans in physically active adults.
Researchers investigating the association between gut microbiota and muscle health transmitted body samples from adults to sterile, gender-appropriate mice. They measured rat body function, measured body composition, grip strength, and treadmill endurance.
Mice showed bacterial differences just like adults, and mice that took samples from physically active participants had increased grip strength. However, the researchers found no significant differences in body composition or endurance.
"These findings help us understand the role of gut microbiota in maintaining muscle strength in the elderly," said Michael Listgarten, co-author of the Taft Institute of Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia.
For example, increased levels of pretilla in the intestine can lead to the same increase in muscle strength, Listgarten said. He added that the role of pretilla in maintaining muscle strength in the elderly is one of the areas of research they intend to explore.
The importance of intestinal flora
Other studies have found a possible link between gut flora and muscle health. A study published in Science Translational Medicine found that mice containing gut microbiota had stronger skeletal muscle than sterile mice.
The team performed experiments in mice without showing signs of germs in the intestines and found that sterile mice increased the expression of genes related to muscle attachment. They also showed difficulties in skeletal muscle function and the development of new mitochondria. Myochondria play a role in breaking down nutrients to produce energy for cell activity.
Sterilized mice also reduced the levels of proteins needed for neuromuscular junction assembly and function, a chemical structure that promotes muscle contraction by allowing motor neurons to interact with bone-muscle fibers. Gives.
When the researchers transplanted the gut bacteria into sterile mice, the levels of these proteins were partially restored, improving muscle growth and function. In addition, the symptoms of muscle atrophy decreased. (Related: How does quercetin help with muscle health?)
Mr Wang Yu of Singapore's Science, Technology and Research Agency said: "This series of studies leads to new ways to maintain or improve muscle mass, strength and function by regulating the microbial structure in the gut. Is.
Yu, who was not involved in the study, added that such a new strategy would be widely applied to muscle-related health issues. One area of great potential is age-related sarcopenia, or massive age-related damage to skeletal muscle.
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