The Wellderly study explores the communication between bone, muscle and fat and how exercise can promote healthy ageing for middle-aged and older adults.

The project is conducted at the Institute for Health and Sport (IHES) at Victoria University in collaboration with the Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS).

Participants receive information about their fitness and health and may be reimbursed with a gift card up to $100 value.

The Wellderly study

The Wellderly study will improve knowledge on how high-intensity interval training (HIIT) effects hormones involved in bone, muscle and fat interaction. There is increased evidence that bone, muscle and fat are communicating with each other, but these “communication” lines are not fully clear. It is also not clear how exercise affects the interaction between those tissues. Understanding this may result in better approaches to improving function and health as we age.

All participants will undertake fitness and health testing. They will then be randomised to either exercise training (three sessions of HIIT per week for four weeks) or control (usual activities for four weeks). Participants in the control group are offered exercise training after completing the study as a courtesy.

Participants will undergo the following assessments free of charge:

  • Body composition scan (bone and lean mass) using DXA
  • Blood and urine sampling
  • Optional muscle and fat sampling before and after exercise
  • Exercise testing
  • Lifestyle questionnaires focusing on nutrition, mood and physical activity
  • Measure of vascular function

Abstract: Bone and muscle are closely linked anatomically, biochemically, and metabolically. Acute exercise affects both bone and muscle, implying a crosstalk between the two systems. However, how these two systems communicate is still largely unknown. We will explore the role of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) in this crosstalk. ucOC is involved in glucose metabolism and has a potential role in muscle maintenance and metabolism. https://www.researchprotocols.org/2021/4/e18777/

elderly man on an exercise bike with elderly woman smiling next to him holding a water bottle

Eligibility

Inclusion criteria:

  • Females and males aged 45 or over (no upper age limit)

Main Exclusion criteria:

  • Treatment for osteoporosis as well as long-term glucocorticoid treatment
  • Current smoker or quit in the past 12 months
  • Hormone replacement therapy
  • Body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2

Please note, additional inclusion/exclusion criteria apply.

Expression of Interest

If you are over 45 years old and would like to receive free health and fitness information and exercise training, please register your interest below.

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Contact details

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