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- Papaioannou, Konstantinos-Georgios, 1983-
(författare)
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Diet and physical activity behaviors for healthy aging
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The process of aging is characterized by physiological changes in various body systems and biological functions, that affect health and functional capacity. Adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors could be an effective, accessible, and lowcost strategy to delay age-related functional changes. Dietary habits, including both patterns and amounts of specific food items, and physical activity (PA)are two lifestyle factors that may have an impact on several age-related health aspects. The overall aim of this thesis was to determine the links between diet, physical activity behaviors, and biological markers of healthy aging, including muscle health, metabolic health, and systemic inflammation in older adults.The findings of the present work collectively highlight the role of diet and physical activity behaviors on biological markers of healthy aging in older adults. Daily amounts of sedentary time were detrimentally associated with the systemic inflammatory environment, with sex-specific alterations in proand anti-inflammatory biomarkers. In term of dietary habits, higher intakes of vegetables were associated with lower levels of the pro-inflammatory biomarker IL-6 in older adults, regardless of intakes of other health-related food groups, physical activity behaviors, and adiposity level. Moreover, lower intakes of fruit and vegetables (FV) in general, and of vegetables in particular, increased the likelihood of having metabolic syndrome (MetS) in older adults, which was evident even after considering time spent in sedentary behavior and adherence to the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guideline. Finally, healthy eating was beneficially associated with lower sarcopenia risk in physically active older men and women, even when engagement in musclestrengthening activities and adherence to guidelines for protein intake were considered. Overall, the present thesis demonstrates the detrimental impact of excessive amounts of sedentary time on markers of systemic inflammation and highlights the beneficial effects of healthy eating on biological determinants of healthy aging regardless of the potential confounding effects of physical activity behaviors.
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| 2. |
- Montiel Rojas, Diego, 1984-
(författare)
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Diet and sarcopenia risk in community-dwelling older European adults
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The age-related decline in muscle strength and muscle mass can lead to sarcopenia with higher risk of falls, disability, and loss of independence. In this context, healthy dietary habits have the potential to delay onset of physical limitations, thereby promoting healthy ageing. The overall aim of the thesis was to investigate the role of dietary habits on indicators ofmuscle health in a sample of community-dwelling older European men and women. The studies were performed within the frame of the NU-AGE project, a multi-centre study aiming to determine the impact of dietary habits on age-related functional decline. Studies I-III were based on crosssectional analyses, whereas study IV was a randomised controlled trial (RCT). In summary, Study I highlighted the independent roles of dietary protein amount and quality for muscle health in older adults. A positive linear dose-response relationship existed between protein intake and muscle health, with increased intake of plant-based proteins to the detriment of animal-based proteins was associated with reduced sarcopenia risk. Study II revealed that increased poly-unsaturated fatty acids intake to the detriment of saturated fatty acids was associated with lower sarcopenia risk in older adults with a dietary protein intake below 1.1 g/kg of body weight. In Study III, beneficial links between dietary fibre intake and muscle mass were observed in older European adults. In Study IV, a one-year RCT promoting adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet did not result in significant changes in muscle strength or mass. In conclusion, the present dissertation emphasised the important potential of macronutrient amount and quality in the prevention of age-related loss of muscle strength and muscle mass. However, future experimental studies are warranted to clarify the impact of whole-diet approaches, such as the Mediterranean diet, on the maintenance of muscle health in older adults.
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| 3. |
- Edholm, Peter, 1977-
(författare)
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Muscle mass and physical function in ageing : the effects of physical activity and healthy diet
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ageing is associated with a gradual deterioration in physical function, accompanied by a decrease in muscle mass, leading to loss of independency. In this respect, physical activity and healthy diet represent key lifestyle factors with potential to delay onset of age-related physical disability. The overall aim of the present thesis was to explore the effects of physical activity behaviours in general and resistance training (RT) in particular, with or without addition of a healthy diet (HD), on muscle mass and physical function in older community-dwelling women. A main finding was that physical activity of at least moderate intensity at old age infers beneficial effects on physical function, even in individuals with a previously sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, engagement in exercise-related activities during middleage years is linked to better physical function and higher muscle massat old age, regardless of present physical activity level. This thesis further highlights that in older women RT combined with HD rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids elicits significant gains in muscle mass, whereas no corresponding gain was induced by RT alone. Likewise, larger improvements in muscle strength and physical function were evident in response to combined effects by RT and HD compared to RT alone. Taken together, findings from this thesis support public health efforts aiming to promote physical activity of at least moderate intensity together with a healthy diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in order to combat age-related decline in muscle mass and physical function.
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