Background: Sarcopenia, a reduction in muscle mass and function seen in aging populations, may be countered by improving systemic carnosine stores via beta-Alanine (β-alanine) supplementation. Increasing systemic carnosine levels may result in enhanced anti-oxidant, neuro-protective and pH buffering capabilities. This enhancement should result in improved exercise capacity and executive function.
Methods: Twelve healthy adults (average age = 60.5 ± 8.6 yrs, weight = 81.5 ± 12.6 kg) were randomized and given either 2.4 g/d of β-alanine (BA) or Placebo (PL) for 28 days. Exercise capacity was tested via bouts on a cycle ergometer at 70% VO peak. Executive function was measured by Stroop Tests 5 min before exercise (T1), immediately before exercise (T2), immediately following fatigue (T3), and 5 min after fatigue (T4). Lactate measures were taken pre/post exercise. Heart rate, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and VO were recorded throughout exercise testing.
Results: PRE average time-to-exhaustion (TTE) for the PL and BA group were not significantly different (Mean ± SD; 9.4 ± 1.4mins vs 11.1 ± 2.4mins, respectively, P = 0.7). POST BA supplemented subjects cycled significantly longer than PRE (14.6 ± 3.8mins vs 11.1 ± 2.4mins, respectively, P = 0.04) while those given PL did not (8.7 ± 2.4mins vs 9.4 ± 1.4mins, respectively, P = 0.7). PL subjects were slower in completing the Stroop test POST at T4 compared to T3 (T3 = - 13.3 ± 8.6% vs T4 = 2.1 ± 8.3%, P = 0.04), while the BA group (T3 = - 9.2 ± 6.4% vs T4 = - 2.5 ± 3.5%, P = 0.5) was not. POST lactate production expressed a trend when comparing treatments, as the BA group produced 2.4 ± 2.6 mmol/L more lactate than the PL group (P = 0.06). Within group lactate production for BA (P = 0.4) and PL (P = 0.5), RPE (P = 0.9) and heart rate (P = 0.7) did not differ with supplementation.
Conclusion: BA supplementation increased exercise capacity and eliminated endurance exercise induced declines in executive function seen after recovery. Increased POST TTE coupled with similar PRE vs POST lactate production indicates an improvement in the ability of BA to extend exercise durations. Furthermore, by countering endurance exercise's accompanying deficits in executive function, the aging population can maintain benefits from exercise with improved safety.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0238-7 | DOI Listing |
Neurobiol Aging
December 2024
Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
Healthy aging is associated with cognitive decline across multiple domains, including executive function, memory, and attention. These cognitive changes can often influence an individual's ability to function and quality of life. However, the degree to which individuals experience cognitive decline, as well as the trajectory of these changes, exhibits wide variability across people.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Neuropsychol Child
December 2024
Institute on Development and Disability, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Executive functions (EF) affect child competencies across domains in early childhood. Thus, this study examined: 1) the EF differences between young children with global developmental delays (GDD) and those with typical development (TD); 2) the relationship between mastery motivation (MM) and EF; 3) the association between developmental abilities and EF in both groups. Participants included 26 mother-child dyads of preschoolers with GDD (age 24-55 months) and 26 sex- and mental-age-matched dyads of TD preschoolers (age 15-29 months).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Gerontol Geriatr
December 2024
Department of Sports Science, Hanyang University ERICA, South Korea.
Purpose: To analyze the effect of complex exercise on cognitive ability of the elderly.
Study Design: By means of literature screening and quality assessment, high-quality studies were extracted to comprehensively analyze the effects of complex exercise on cognitive ability of the elderly.
Method: By searching databases such as Web of Science and CNKI, we integrated experimental studies on the effects of complex exercise on cognitive ability in the elderly, conducted literature quality assessment according to Cochrane bias risk assessment tool, and conducted meta-analysis using Review Manager 5.
EBioMedicine
December 2024
Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Germany. Electronic address:
Background: Emerging findings indicate that the hypothalamus, the body's principal homeostatic centre, plays a crucial role in modulating cognition, but comprehensive population-based studies are lacking.
Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Rhineland Study (N = 5812, 55.2 ± 13.
World J Psychiatry
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China.
Background: The pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (SCZ) remains unclear. Accumulating studies showed that inflammatory-immune dysregulation and altered brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels play a crucial role in the psychopathology of SCZ. However, their association with cognitive dysfunction in first-episode SCZ patients has not been thoroughly investigated.
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