Abstract
Plasma fatty acids (FAs) and oxidant status contribute to the etiology of sarcopenia in the elderly concurring to age-related muscle loss and elderly frailty through several mechanisms including changes in FA composition within the sarcolemma, promotion of chronic low-grade inflammation, and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the FA profile and pro-antioxidant status in sarcopenic frail elderly patients enrolled in a nutritional and physical activity program and to evaluate their correlation with clinical markers. Moreover, the possible changes, produced after a short-term clinical protocol, were evaluated. Plasma and erythrocyte FA composition and pro-antioxidant status were analyzed in sarcopenic elderly subjects recruited for the randomized clinical study and treated with a placebo or dietary supplement, a personalized diet, and standardized physical activity. Subjects were tested before and after 30 days of treatment. Pearson correlations between biochemical parameters and patients’ characteristics at recruitment indicate interesting features of sarcopenic status such as negative correlation among the plasma FA profile, age, and physical characteristics. Physical activity and dietetic program alone for 30 days induced a decrease of saturated FA concentration with a significant increase of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid. Supplementation plus physical activity induced a significant decrease of linoleic acid, omega-6 polyunsaturated FAs, and an increase of stearic and oleic acid concentration. Moreover, glutathione reductase activity, which is an indicator of antioxidant status, significantly increased in erythrocytes. Changes over time between groups indicate significant differences for saturated FAs, which suggest that the amino acid supplementation restores FA levels that are consumed during physical activity. A relationship between FA and clinical/metabolic status revealed unique correlations and a specific metabolic and lipidomic fingerprint in sarcopenic elderly. The results indicate the positive beneficial role of supplementation and physical activity on plasma FA status and the antioxidant system as a co-adjuvant approach in sarcopenic, frail, elderly patients.
Highlights
Sarcopenia is a multifactorial syndrome emerging from changes in muscle morphology, oxidative stress, inflammation, physical activity, and diet [1,2]
The results indicate the positive beneficial role of supplementation and physical activity on the plasma fatty acids (FAs) status and antioxidant system as a co-adjuvant approach in sarcopenic, frail, elderly patients
Our study has not highlighted this correlation with muscle function. This is the first study in the literature that describes the plasma lipid profile together with pro-antioxidant status in a group of sarcopenic subjects before and after a randomized dietary supplementation trial with personalized aerobic exercise and endurance training
Summary
Sarcopenia is a multifactorial syndrome emerging from changes in muscle morphology, oxidative stress, inflammation, physical activity, and diet [1,2]. Oxidative stress moderates aging and exacerbates age-associated diseases [3,4,5]. It is an etiological factor in the development of sarcopenia [6]. Pansarasa et al [8] proposed an association between ROS activity and age-related changes in human skeletal muscle, while Mecocci et al [13] demonstrated age-related oxidative damage and significant loss of muscle mass.
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