Canadian researchers may have come up with a new recipe for a vigorous old age that includes one part old advice and one part something altogether new.
The recipe for staying young includes that old standby, exercise -- particularly weight training -- which builds new muscle tissue, promotes balance, stamina, and strength.
"My personal feeling is that exercise is the fountain of youth," says Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, an associate professor in the departments of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster University who led the study detailed in the journal PLoS ONE.
Step 2 is something new: the addition of two inexpensive and readily available supplements, creatine and CLA.
Creatine is often used by body builders to encourage muscle growth. CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, is a substance found in meat and dairy that appears to reduce body fat.
Researchers at McMaster University tested 39 seniors aged 65 to 85. One group did an hour of weight training just twice a week, and took five grams of creatine and six grams of CLA each day for six months. The other group exercised as well, but took placebos.
The 11 men and 10 women on the creatine/CLA combo lost on average, 1.9 kilograms, or four-and-a-half pounds, of fat mass, becoming leaner and stronger. The placebo group lost only 0.4 kg, or about 0.9 lbs.
One 77-year-old participant, named Michael, says he felt great by the end of the study.
"Oh much better... much more vigorous. It helps a great deal," he told CTV.
"By the end of the trial I had lost weight... I was strong all over, particularly my back," said 75-year-old Elizabeth, adding: "Feeling stronger makes you feel physically stronger, you feel mentally stronger."
Tarnopolsky admits more research is needed on the supplements, but his team observed no side effects at the doses given.
"For the first six months, these two compounds appeared to be safe based on all the studies... and we appear to get to a state of fitness strength and body composition a little more rapidly."
Tarnopolsky notes that, on their own, the supplements have no effect on weight or fat mass; the exercise component is crucial.
It's not known how safe it is for seniors to continue the supplements for longer than six months. According to the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., patients with kidney disease should avoid using creatine and caution is also advised in those with liver disease.
Anyone considering adding creatine and/or CLA to their diet should consult their doctor first.
Dr. Robert Petrella, from the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Western Ontario, says the study could have huge implications, not only related to strength improvement but on quality of life.
"If we can make patients -- who are getting older -- stronger and able to maintain their activities of daily living maintain their residences, it will not only lead to improved quality of life for older people but health-care savings as well," he says.
Petrella notes that the study was limited in that it had a fairly short follow-up, so he would like to see larger, longer-term studies conducted.
"I think we have good evidence to move forward. We need more research. We need more patients involved," he says. "But the bottom line is exercise is important. And how you do exercise through supplementation may make it even more important for patients maintaining their independence as they grow older."
With a report from CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip
