Step-reduction in Older Men and Women

Aging results in a progressive loss of muscle mass that is accelerated by periods of muscular disuse, common for older adults during hospitalization or convalescence from illness. Transient physical inactivity has been shown to cause muscular atrophy and impairments in insulin sensitivity in both younger and older adults. However, the recovery capacity of older adults after such physical inactivity remains unknown. This study aims to determine the impact of two weeks of daily step reduction to ≤1000 steps per day, an experimental model mimicking short-term physical inactivity, on glycemic control in older adults and further investigate whether older adults are able to recover from the consequences of this inactivity simply by returning to their habitual activity for 14 days.