Effect of 12 Weeks Incremental Resistance Training on Serum Levels of Myostatin, Follistatin, and IGF-I in Sedentary Elderly Men

Aims: Numerous studies have established that resistance training is highly effective in preventing and addressing age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) by enhancing the physiological function of skeletal muscle tissue. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of 12 weeks of incremental resistance training on the serum levels of myostatin, follistatin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) in sedentary elderly men. Materials Methods: Thirty sedentary elderly men voluntarily participated in this semi-experimental study and were randomly assigned to either a control group (15 men) with an average age of 62.1±3.7 years and weight of 85.1±7.7 kg, or a resistance training group (15 men) with an average age of 61.3±1.6 years and weight of 82.3±7.8 kg. The resistance training group undertook a 12-week training protocol, while the control group did not engage in any training program during this time. Blood samples and body composition measurements (using dual X-ray absorptiometry) were taken before the study commenced and 48 hours after the last training session concluded. Serum levels of myostatin, follistatin, and IGF-I were determined using the ELISA method. An independent t-test was employed to establish statistical significance between the groups, utilizing SPSS 21 software. Findings: After 12 weeks of resistance training, there was a significant decrease in serum myostatin levels and significant increases in serum follistatin and IGF-I levels in comparison to the control group (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Incremental resistance training proves to be an effective intervention for preventing sarcopenia in elderly individuals by decreasing serum levels of myostatin and increasing serum levels of follistatin and IGF-I.