Eccentric Exercise and Oxidative Stress

The Effect of Eccentric Exercise on Oxidative Stress in the Elderly

The purpose of the present investigation is to compare the responses and adaptations of young and elderly individuals to repeated eccentric exercise in regards to muscle function and redox homeostasis in a side-by-side comparison.

Despite the progress of analytic techniques and the refinement of study designs, striking disagreement exists among studies regarding the influence of exercise on muscle function and redox homeostasis in the elderly. A specific exercise protocol will be applied (the repeated eccentric model) to produce long-lasting and extensive changes in redox biomarkers and to examine more easily the potential effects of aging. Ten young men and ten elderly men will underwent an isokinetic eccentric exercise session, which will be repeated after three weeks. Muscle function indices and redox biomarkers will be assessed in urine, plasma or erythrocytes pre exercise, immediately post exercise, 2 and 4 days post exercise.

Inclusion Criteria:

• subject provides written informed consent
• physiological health profile
• stable at their anthropometric characteristics for at least the last year

Exclusion Criteria:

• muscle disease
• prior history of musculoskeletal injury to the lower limbs
• smokers
• consumed any nutritional supplement the last 3 months
• performed intense eccentric exercise the last 6 months
• non Caucasian