The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of dietary cholesterol administered as whole egg or egg white (control)on muscle mass gain with resistance training in a young old population of men and women (age 50-69). It is hypothesized that dietary cholesterol will be significantly associated to muscle mass gain.

The primary objective of this proposal is to have 36 men and women (age 50-69) perform 12 weeks of resistance exercise training for the purpose of inducing skeletal muscle hypertrophy. These individuals will consume either 0, 1, or 3 whole eggs per day in a double-blind design to test the hypothesis that dietary cholesterol is essential for skeletal muscle hypertrophy. If so proven, this will confirm a very strong association between dietary cholesterol and hypertrophy observed in a previous study of 51 men and women (age 60-69). The current proposal is using a randomized double-blind, placebo controlled design to provide the most conclusive evidence that dietary cholesterol plays an essential role in skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

The secondary objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that increased dietary cholesterol consumption in the context of an exercise program does not alter blood cholesterol concentrations or other cardiovascular risk factors.

Inclusion Criteria:

• men and women aged 50-69
• able to perform exercise testing and training

Exclusion Criteria:

• blood pressure > 160/100
• cardiac arrhythmias
• cancer
• hernia
• aortic aneurysm
• kidney disease
• lung disease
• total cholesterol > 240 mg/dl or < 160 mg/dl
• current use of cholesterol lowering medications
• actively participating in >1 hour per week of resistance training