The impact of six months strength training, nutritional supplementation or cognitive training on DNA damage in institutionalised elderly

Author(s)
Bernhard Franzke, Barbara Halper, Marlene Hofmann, Stefan Oesen, Waltraud Mathilde Jandrasits, Andreas Baierl, Anela Tosevska, Eva-Maria Strasser, Barbara Wessner, Karl-Heinz Wagner
Abstract

Aging and its aligned loss of muscle mass are associated with higher levels of DNA damage and deteriorated antioxidant defence. To improve the body's overall resistance against DNA damage, maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is desirable, especially in the elderly. As people age, many have to change their residence from home living to an institution, which is often accompanied by malnutrition, depression and inactivity. The current study aimed at investigating the effect of a 6-month progressive resistance training (RT), with or without protein and vitamin supplementation (RTS), or cognitive training (CT), on DNA strand breaks in 105 Austrian institutionalised women and men (65-98 years). DNA damage was detected by performing the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. Physical fitness was assessed using the chair rise, the 6-min-walking and the handgrip strength test. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) were analysed. Basal DNA damage (lysis) increased significantly after 3 months of intervention in the RT group (T1 - T2 + 20%, P = 0.001) and the RTS group (T1 - T2 + 17%, P = 0.002) and showed a similar tendency in the CT group (T1 - T2 + 21%, P = 0.059). %DNA in tail decreased in cells exposed to H2O2 significantly in the RT (T1 - T2 - 24%, P = 0.030; T1 - T3 - 18%, P = 0.019) and CT (T1 - T2 - 21%, P = 0.004; T1 - T3 - 13%, P = 0.038) groups. Only RT and RTS groups showed significant differences overtime in enzyme activity (RT + 22% CAT-activity T1 - T3, P = 0.013; RTS + 6% SOD-activity T2 - T3, P = 0.005). Contrary to the time effects, no difference between groups was detected for any parameter at any time point. Our results suggest that both CT and RT improve resistance against H2O2 induced DNA damage and that a nutritional supplement has no further protective effect in institutionalised elderly.

Organisation(s)
Research Platform Active Ageing, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Sport and Human Movement Science, Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Project: Family Studies in Austria
External organisation(s)
Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Süd – Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital
Journal
Mutagenesis
Volume
30
Pages
147-153
No. of pages
7
ISSN
0267-8357
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/mutage/geu074
Publication date
01-2015
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
303028 Sport science, 303009 Nutritional sciences, 301304 Medical biology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Genetics(clinical), Genetics, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Toxicology
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/the-impact-of-six-months-strength-training-nutritional-supplementation-or-cognitive-training-on-dna-damage-in-institutionalised-elderly(f2b71805-14b3-4f7b-83a1-91c0de69b87f).html