The effects of regular strength training on telomere length in human skeletal muscle

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effects of regular strength training on telomere length in human skeletal muscle

AU - Kadi, Fawzi

AU - Ponsot, Elodie

AU - Piehl-Aulin, Karin

AU - Mackey, Abigail

AU - Kjaer, Michael

AU - Oskarsson, Eva

AU - Holm, Lars

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Humans; Male; Muscle Contraction; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle; Telomerase; Telomere; Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1; Weight Lifting; Weight-Bearing

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - PURPOSE: The length of DNA telomeres is an important parameter of the proliferative potential of tissues. A recent study has reported abnormally short telomeres in skeletal muscle of athletes with exercise-associated fatigue. This important report raises the question of whether long-term practice of sports might have deleterious effects on muscle telomeres. Therefore, we aimed to compare telomere length of a group of power lifters (PL; N = 7) who trained for 8 +/- 3 yr against that of a group of healthy, active subjects (C; N = 7) with no history of strength training. METHODS: Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis, and the mean and minimum telomeric restriction fragments (TRF) (telomere length) were determined, using the Southern blot protocol previously used for the analysis of skeletal muscle. RESULTS: There was no abnormal shortening of telomeres in PL. On the contrary, the mean (P = 0.07) and the minimum (P = 0.09) TRF lengths in PL tended to be higher than in C. In PL, the minimum TRF length was inversely correlated to the individual records in squat (r = -0.86; P = 0.01) and deadlift (r = -0.88; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results show for the first time that long-term training is not associated with an abnormal shortening of skeletal muscle telomere length. Although the minimum telomere length in PL remains within normal physiological ranges, a heavier load put on the muscles means a shorter minimum TRF length in skeletal muscle.

AB - PURPOSE: The length of DNA telomeres is an important parameter of the proliferative potential of tissues. A recent study has reported abnormally short telomeres in skeletal muscle of athletes with exercise-associated fatigue. This important report raises the question of whether long-term practice of sports might have deleterious effects on muscle telomeres. Therefore, we aimed to compare telomere length of a group of power lifters (PL; N = 7) who trained for 8 +/- 3 yr against that of a group of healthy, active subjects (C; N = 7) with no history of strength training. METHODS: Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis, and the mean and minimum telomeric restriction fragments (TRF) (telomere length) were determined, using the Southern blot protocol previously used for the analysis of skeletal muscle. RESULTS: There was no abnormal shortening of telomeres in PL. On the contrary, the mean (P = 0.07) and the minimum (P = 0.09) TRF lengths in PL tended to be higher than in C. In PL, the minimum TRF length was inversely correlated to the individual records in squat (r = -0.86; P = 0.01) and deadlift (r = -0.88; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results show for the first time that long-term training is not associated with an abnormal shortening of skeletal muscle telomere length. Although the minimum telomere length in PL remains within normal physiological ranges, a heavier load put on the muscles means a shorter minimum TRF length in skeletal muscle.

U2 - 10.1249/mss.0b013e3181596695

DO - 10.1249/mss.0b013e3181596695

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18091019

SN - 0195-9131

VL - 40

SP - 82

EP - 87

JO - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

JF - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

IS - 1

ER -