The effect of resistance training on muscle volume through the regulation of proteins involved in the cellular autophagy pathway in aged rats

Decreased muscle mass is an important factor in the reduction of body function in old age. Complex cellular pathways such as autophagy are strongly related to health and there is a complex relationship between autophagy and aging; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training on the levels of autophagy proteins Beclin1 and Ambra1 in the Extensor Digitorum Longus (EDL) muscle of elderly rats.

The current research was of an experimental-fundamental type, in which 12, 20-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats with an average weight of 400 ± 30 g were randomly divided into two groups: 1) control (6 heads) and 2) resistance training (6 heads). The resistance training program included climbing the rodent ladder for eight weeks, three sessions per week. The subjects climbed a vertical ladder with an 85-degree incline, one meter long, 26 rungs and two cm of space between each rung. After 48 hours after the last training session, EDL muscle tissue was removed. Data were analysed using an independent t-test in the GraphPad Prism version 9.5 software. The significance level was set at P < 0.05.

Eight weeks of resistance training led to decreased Beclin1 (P=0.0001) and Ambra1 (P=0.0212) protein levels in the EDL muscle of old rats.

Reducing the intracellular content of these factors through resistance training can prevent autophagy in the muscle cells of elderly subjects, resulting in less atrophy