Association among inflammaging, body composition, physical activity, and physical function tests in physically active women

Carlos Andre Freitas Santos; Gislene Rocha Amirato; Vitoria Paixão; Ewin Barbosa Almeida; Jônatas Bussador Do Amaral; Fernanda Rodrigues Monteiro; Tamaris Roseira; Yara Juliano; Neil Ferreira Novo; Marcelo Rossi; Anuska Marcelino Alvares-Saraiva; Rodolfo de Paula Vieira; Andre Luis Lacerda Bachi; Alessandro Ferrari Jacinto

doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1206989

Association among inflammaging, body composition, physical activity, and physical function tests in physically active women

Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Jul 18:10:1206989. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1206989. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Carlos Andre Freitas Santos^{1

2}, Gislene Rocha Amirato³, Vitoria Paixão⁴, Ewin Barbosa Almeida⁴, Jônatas Bussador Do Amaral⁴, Fernanda Rodrigues Monteiro⁵, Tamaris Roseira⁵, Yara Juliano⁵, Neil Ferreira Novo⁵, Marcelo Rossi⁵, Anuska Marcelino Alvares-Saraiva⁶, Rodolfo de Paula Vieira⁷, Andre Luis Lacerda Bachi⁵, Alessandro Ferrari Jacinto²

Affiliations

¹ Discipline of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
² Postgraduate Program in Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
³ Mane Garrincha Sport Education Center, Sports Department of the Municipality of São Paulo (SEME), São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ 4ENT Research Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Post-graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University (UNISA), São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
⁶ Postgraduate Program in Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁷ Post-graduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation and in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Evangélica de Goiás-Unievangelica, Anapolis, Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Inflammaging is a phenomenon that has been associated with the development and progression of sarcopenia and frailty syndrome. According to the literature, on the one side, the increase in body fat is associated with a systemic pro-inflammatory status, which consequently favors inflammaging, and on the other side, the regular practice of physical exercise can mitigate the development of this scenario. Therefore, here, we aimed to evaluate the association between inflammaging and physical factors, both body and functional, in a group of physically active older women.

Methods: Seventy older women (mean age 72.66 ± 6.17 years) participated in this observational cross-sectional and were separated into the eutrophic, overweight, and obese groups. It was assessed: by bioimpedance-body fat percentage (Fat%) and total (Fat kg), skeletal muscle mass (muscle), and free fat mass both in percentage (FFM%) and total (FFMkg); by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-the time of moderate-intensity physical activity per week; by physical tests-handgrip (HG), sit-up-stand-on-the-chair in 5 repetitions (Sit-up) and vertical squat jump test (SJ); in addition to the determination of serum cytokine concentration (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-8), and also body mass index (BMI) and calf circumference (Calf).

Results: Higher FFM% and lower body fat (both kg and %) were found in the eutrophic group than in the other groups. The eutrophic group also performed more weekly physical activity, jumped higher, and presented not only higher serum IL-6 concentration but also an increased ratio of IL-10/IL-6, IL-10/TNF-α, IL-10/IL-8 as compared to the values found in the overweight group. The obese group presented higher body fat (kg and %) and lower FFM% than the other groups and also higher serum IL-6 concentration than the overweight group. Interestingly, several significant negative and positive correlations between body composition, physical tests, and serum cytokine concentrations were found in the eutrophic and obese groups.

Conclusion: While the eutrophic older women group showed a remarkable regulation of the systemic inflammatory status with positive associations in the physical parameters assessed, the overweight and obese groups presented impairment regulations of the inflammaging, which could be related to less weekly physical activity and higher body fat.

Keywords: aging; body composition; cytokine profile; functional tests; inflammaging; physical activity.