Restoring the ability of aged muscle to adapt to aerobic exercise with heterochronic plasma transfer
Skeletal muscle loses strength and function with age because it does not respond as well to daily stresses. The ability of the muscle to respond to stress is determined by the muscle, but also the environment around the muscle. Manipulating the circulating environment (i.e. blood and/or plasma) is a simple, accessible, and cost-effective approach that may improve skeletal muscle function in response to muscle wasting. Thus, Dr. Bubak’s project aims to determine if changing the systemic environment impacts that ability of skeletal muscle to adapt to positive stresses, such as aerobic exercise. This study will be the first to explore the relationship between the factors in the blood and aged skeletal muscle’s adaptability to respond to exercise. Furthermore, this project will advance our scientific knowledge to the underlying mechanisms that reduce skeletal muscle function with age and provide a framework for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of muscle wasting.
