Training, Aging and Disuse

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/B_TRAD

Course Objective

The course "Training, Ageing, and Disuse" provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the physiological and molecular/cellular mechanisms that determine physical capacity, particularly peak power, sustainable power, and fatigue. The course explores how these characteristics are altered by exercise training, disuse, ageing, and disease. By connecting whole-body adaptations to molecular pathways, students will develop insights into the functional changes that occur in health, ageing, and disease. This knowledge equips them to predict and design interventions aimed at preserving or enhancing physical function across different conditions. By the end of this course, students can:Explain the physiological and molecular/cellular mechanisms underlying physical function, focusing on the determinants of peak power, sustainable power, and fatigue characteristics.Analyze how exercise training, disuse, and ageing affect molecular pathways (e.g., gene expression, protein synthesis, mitochondrial biogenesis) and link these changes to whole-body adaptations in performance and function.Apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios by predicting how different interventions (e.g., exercise, nutrition, or rehabilitation programs) may mitigate declines in muscle function associated with ageing, disuse, or disease.Engage in critical discussions that synthesize molecular and physiological knowledge to develop arguments regarding the effects of ageing, disuse, and training on physical function.

Course Content

Trained athletes are capable of generating phenomenal amounts of power during their respective activities. In the example of power and sprint-based athletes, these individuals will possess the ability to generate extremely high power production instantaneously or for very brief periods. However, very quickly fatigue will set in and their capacity to continue generating high power will dwindle. In the example of endurance athletes, these individuals will be able to generate much lower power outputs instantaneously. However, these individuals will be able to sustain a much higher fraction of their peak power output over a longer time frame without suffering a drop-off in their power-generating potential. These distinct, power-generating properties are somewhat inversely related, in that individuals with great instantaneous power-generating capacity tend to have poor capacity to sustain submaximal power outputs over time, and vice versa. A central question that is considered in this course is the following: How can we improve both in the same individual at the same time? These two properties: peak power and sustainable power
- are also those that decline as we age, with inactivity and disuse, and also in chronic diseases. Hence, if we are to understand how to halt the decline in physical capacity seen in each of these cases, we should aim to understand what peak and sustainable power consist of in the first place. Then, we should try to understand when and how the losses of peak and sustainable power occur in these cases. Equipped with this knowledge, we will be more effectively placed to design interventions aimed at mitigating the loss of physical function that occurs with age, disuse and disease. These are the main themes that are discussed in this course. The course consists of two distinct parts which are interspersed throughout the course. One is given by Professor Richard Jaspers, and concerns the molecular regulation of training, ageing, and disuse-related changes. The other is given by Dr Richie Goulding, and concerns the integrative physiology behind training, ageing, and disuse-related changes.

Teaching Methods

The course will consist of a series of lectures during which topics related to muscle adaptation and physical performance will be addressed, integrating molecular mechanisms and physiological principles. Using the literature assignments students should study the material independently (even though group work is encouraged) to attain a good understanding. Generally, students are expected to read 2-3 papers per lecture (see reading list). In additional meetings relevant items are addressed in group discussions based on prepared questions/statements. Contact hours are intended to support this process and have the following goals:To accentuate importance of the contentTo place contents within a theoretical frameworkTo identify content importance for the movement sciencesTo discuss content difficulties that may arise during independent study of assigned literatureTo practice solving problems using learned content.Integrative discussion sessions In additional meetings relevant items are addressed in integrative group discussions based on prepared questions/statements. The aim of these meetings is to stimulate participation in group discussions and exercise the course content and exam questions. Critical thinking and active participation are key components of these discussions. For these group discussions, students are invited to deliver 2 statements and corresponding responses one day prior to each of the two scheduled integrative discussion sessions. In their responses students should argue whether he/she agrees or disagrees (note that the explanation is most important). Submission of statements for each of the two integrative discussion sessions including responses will be awarded by 1.0 grade points in the final grade (i.e. 0.25 points per statement submitted, two statements per session, two sessions totaling 1.0 grade points). 6 ECTS: i.e. 26 contact hours, and 136 hours preparation for contact hours, further study and exam. 4 hours integrative discussion sessions plus preparation, 135 minute examination.

Method of Assessment

The final assessment consists of a written exam with two parts:Ten statements: Students must agree, disagree, or partly agree/disagree, and justify their reasoning based on lecture content and literature. Each statement is worth ten marks.Case-based questions: A case study comprising four questions worth ten marks each, which will assess the ability to apply concepts to real-world scenarios.In addition, grades for the integrative discussions will be awarded for statement submission and participation. A total of 1.0 grade point can be obtained by submission of statements and corresponding answers and presence during the integrative discussion. There are two sessions (0.5 points available per session), for which two statements must be submitted (0.25 grade points per statement).

Literature

The reading material consists of articles and lecture notes, which are listed below and which will be made available on Canvas. Reading Molecular Biology PreparatoryJaspers, RT,– Lecture notes about “Processes of gene expression and protein turnover”Baldwin KM & Haddad F (2002). Skeletal muscle plasticity: cellular and molecular responses to altered physical activity paradigms. Am J Phys Med Rehab 81, S40‐51.Regulation of mitochondrial biosynthesis and regenerationRussell, A.P., Foletta, V.C., Snow, R.J. and Wadley, G.D., 2014. Skeletal muscle mitochondria: a major player in exercise, health and disease. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1840, 1276‐84.Bentzinger, C.F., Wang, Y.X., Dumont, N.A. and Rudnicki, M.A., 2013. Cellular dynamics in the muscle satellite cell niche. EMBO Rep. 14, 1062‐72.Regulation of protein synthesis and degradation to trainingPetrella JK, Kim JS, Mayhew DL, Cross JM, and Bamman MM. (2008) Potent myofiber hypertrophy during resistance training in humans is associated with satellite cell‐mediated myonuclear addition: a cluster analysis. J Appl Physiol 104: 1736‐1742.Goldspink G (2005). Mechanical signals, IGF‐I gene splicing, and muscle adaptation. Physiology 20, 232‐238.Verbrugge SAJ, Gehlert S, Stadhouders LEM, Aussieker JDT, de Wit JMJ, Vogel ISP, Offringa C, Schönfelder M, Jaspers RT
- and Wackerhage H
- (2020) PKM2 determines myofiber hypertrophy in vitro and increases in response to resistance exercise in human skeletal muscle. Int J Mol Sci 21:7062.Regulation of protein synthesis and degradation to disusePowers SK, Kavazis AN & McClung JM (2007). Oxidative stress and disuse muscle atrophy. J Appl Physiol.102:2389‐2393. Note that this is only a part of the paperKang C and Ji LL. (2013) Muscle immobilization and remobilization downregulates PGC‐1alpha signaling and the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway. J Appl Physiol 115: 1618‐25.Regulation of protein synthesis and degradation to ageing, regeneration, and muscle repairMayhew DL, Kim JS, Cross JM, Ferrando AA, and Bamman MM. (2009) Translational signaling responses preceding resistance training‐mediated myofiber hypertrophy in young and old humans. J Appl Physiol 107: 1655‐1662.Dalbo, V. J., M. D. Roberts, et al. (2011). Effects of age on serum hormone concentrations and intramuscular proteolytic signaling before and after a single bout of resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 25: 1‐9.Ballak SB, Jaspers RT, Deldicque L, Chalil S, Peters EL, de Haan A and Degens H (2015) Blunted hypertrophic response in old mouse muscle is associated with a lower satellite cell density and is not alleviated by resveratrol. Exp Gerontol 62:23‐31.Garcia‐Prat, L., Sousa‐Victor, P. and Munoz‐Canoves, P., (2013). Functional dysregulation of stem cells during aging: a focus on skeletal muscle stem cells. FEBS J. 280, 4051‐62.Reading Integrative Physiology PreparatoryPoole, D.C., Burnley, M., Vanhatalo, A., Rossiter, H.B. and Jones, A.M., (2016). Critical power: an important fatigue threshold in exercise physiology. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 48: 2320‐2334.Wagner PD. Determinants of maximal oxygen consumption. J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 2023 Jun;44(2):73-88.Exercise trainingGifford JR, Garten RS, Nelson AD, Trinity JD, Layec G, Witman MA, Weavil JC, Mangum T, Hart C, Etheredge C, Jessop J, Bledsoe A, Morgan DE, Wray DW, Rossman MJ, Richardson RS. Symmorphosis and skeletal muscle V̇O2 max : in vivo and in vitro measures reveal differing constraints in the exercise-trained and untrained human. J Physiol. 2016 Mar 15;594(6):1741-51.Narici MV, Roi GS, Landoni L, Minetti AE, Cerretelli P. Changes in force, cross-sectional area and neural activation during strength training and detraining of the human quadriceps. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1989;59(4):310-9.DisuseMulder ER, Stegeman DF, Gerrits KH, Paalman MI, Rittweger J, Felsenberg D, de Haan A. Strength, size and activation of knee extensors followed during 8 weeks of horizontal bed rest and the influence of a countermeasure. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2006 Aug;97(6):706-15. DownloadZuccarelli L, Baldassarre G, Magnesa B, Degano C, Comelli M, Gasparini M, Manferdelli G, Marzorati M, Mavelli I, Pilotto A, Porcelli S, Rasica L, Šimunič B, Pišot R, Narici M, Grassi B. Peripheral impairments of oxidative metabolism after a 10-day bed rest are upstream of mitochondrial respiration. J Physiol. 2021 Nov;599(21):4813-4829.AgeingGrosicki GJ, Zepeda CS, Sundberg CW. Single muscle fibre contractile function with ageing. J Physiol. 2022 Dec;600(23):5005-5026.Poole JG, Lawrenson L, Kim J, Brown C, Richardson RS. Vascular and metabolic response to cycle exercise in sedentary humans: effect of age. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2003 Apr;284(4):H1251-9.FatigueGoulding RP, Rossiter HB, Marwood S, Ferguson C. Bioenergetic Mechanisms Linking V˙O2 Kinetics and Exercise Tolerance. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2021 Oct 1;49(4):274-283.Poole DC, Behnke BJ, Musch TI. The role of vascular function on exercise capacity in health and disease. J Physiol. 2021 Feb;599(3):889-910.DiseaseSpaas J, Goulding RP, Keytsman C, Fonteyn L, van Horssen J, Jaspers RT, Eijnde BO, Wüst RCI. Altered muscle oxidative phenotype impairs exercise tolerance but does not improve after exercise training in multiple sclerosis. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2022 Oct;13(5):2537-2550.Minnock D, Annibalini G, Valli G, Saltarelli R, Krause M, Barbieri E, De Vito G. Altered muscle mitochondrial, inflammatory and trophic markers, and reduced exercise training adaptations in type 1 diabetes. J Physiol. 2022 Mar;600(6):1405-1418.

Recommended background knowledge

The student should have a basic knowledge and understanding of molecular biology, exercise and muscle physiology.