Skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance training is accompanied by a fiber type–specific increase in satellite cell content in elderly men

LB Verdijk, BG Gleeson, RAM Jonkers… - … Series A: Biomedical …, 2009 - academic.oup.com
LB Verdijk, BG Gleeson, RAM Jonkers, K Meijer, HHCM Savelberg, P Dendale…
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical …, 2009academic.oup.com
We determined muscle fiber type–specific hypertrophy and changes in satellite cell (SC)
content following a 12-week resistance training program in 13 healthy, elderly men (72±2
years). Leg strength and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and
computed tomography) were assessed, and muscle biopsy samples were collected. Leg
strength increased 25%–30% after training (p<. 001). Leg lean mass and quadriceps cross-
sectional area increased 6%–9%(p<. 001). At baseline, mean fiber area and SC content …
Abstract
We determined muscle fiber type–specific hypertrophy and changes in satellite cell (SC) content following a 12-week resistance training program in 13 healthy, elderly men (72 ± 2 years). Leg strength and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography) were assessed, and muscle biopsy samples were collected. Leg strength increased 25%–30% after training (p < .001). Leg lean mass and quadriceps cross-sectional area increased 6%–9% (p < .001). At baseline, mean fiber area and SC content were smaller in the Type II versus Type I muscle fibers (p < .01). Following training, Type II muscle fiber area increased from 5,438 ± 319 to 6,982 ± 503 μm2 (p < .01). Type II muscle fiber SC content increased from 0.048 ± 0.003 to 0.084 ± 0.008 SCs per fiber (p < .001). No changes were observed in the Type I muscle fibers. In older adults, skeletal muscle tissue is still capable of inducing SC proliferation and differentiation, resulting in Type II muscle fiber hypertrophy.
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