Does Exercise Snacking Improve Muscle Function in Older Adults?
Condition: Muscle Function
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Muscle size declines at around 0.5-1% per year after 50 years of age, with muscle strength
      declining up to twice as fast as muscle size. This may eventually lead to loss of
      independence if tasks of daily living become too strenuous to be performed safely. Exercise
      is recognized as a safe and effective means to counteract muscle loss during aging, however
      access to gym equipment may be logistically challenging or unpalatable to older adults. This
      research is designed to investigate the effect of 28 days of home-based leg exercise that
      doesn't require exercise equipment or supervision (exercise snacking), accompanied with a
      daily protein supplement in the form of commercially available yogurt, on the skeletal muscle
      health (i.e. function and size) of independent, community-dwelling older adults. To achieve
      this, two groups will be compared; one group will undertake exercise snacking and consume a
      150 g yogurt with the breakfast meal for four weeks, with the second group only receiving the
      daily yogurt with no exercise snacking.
    

Detailed description: 
      The study will require potential participants to undergo an eligibility screening with a
      member of the research team, followed by a period of seven days of habitual activity
      monitoring and 3 days of diet recording. Eligible participants will be allocated into study
      groups by way of minimization based on sex, age, BMI, and number of sit-to-stands performed
      in a minute. Participants will undertake two familiarisation sessions with strength, power,
      neural drive, and balance tests at least seven days apart, the first following eligibility
      screening and the second familiarisation session at least five days before the first main
      trial.

      Thereafter, both groups will undertake a main trial the day before commencing 28 days of
      daily 150 g yoghurt supplement with the breakfast meal, with the exercise snacking group (ES)
      also undertaking two bouts of exercise snacking a day. The main trial will include measures
      of leg muscle function and neural drive, standing and single leg balance, and movement
      co-ordination during tasks of everyday ambulation. Participants will wear a physical activity
      monitor and pedometer for the seven days and record diet for three days during the last week
      of the intervention. The day after the intervention period, a follow-up main trial will be
      conducted as per the first main trial, followed by an optional qualitative interview
      regarding participant's experience of the trial.
    

Intervention name(s): Exercise Snacking; Yogurt
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Each bout of exercise snacking consists of 5 exercise. Each exercise is performed for one minute, with aim of completing as many repetitions as possible of that exercise in that minute. One minute of rest is observed between each exercise of the exercise snack. The five exercises are; sit-to-stand from a chair, marching on the spot, seated knee extensions alternating legs, standing knee bends alternating legs, and standing calf raises. The sit-to-stand exercise is always performed first, with the number of repetitions achieved recorded, and subsequent exercises performed in any order without recording of repetitions.
Two exercise snacks are completed each day for 28 days; once in the morning and once in the evening, or at least separated by 2 hours.; Participants are asked to consume 150 g of yogurt (Arla, Skyr- natural flavour) with their breakfast meal. Participants may substitute the yogurt for another part of their regular breakfast, or add the yogurt to their regular breakfast, with participants asked to record a log book of daily yogurt consumption and to complete a three day food diary during the last week of the 28 day intervention period.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Home-based exercise; Exercise snacking; Protein; Yogurt