Impact of resistance training and chicken intake on vascular and muscle health in elderly women

Abstract Background Resistance training is a well‐known exercise therapy for preventing and improving lacks of muscle mass, strength, and quality with advances in age; however, its effects on arterial stiffness are not beneficial. Additionally, a higher intake of protein, which is an effective nutrient for muscle health, results in lower arterial stiffness. Whether the combination of moderate to high‐intensity resistance training and high‐protein intake would improve muscle mass, strength, and quality and cancel the resistance training‐induced increase in arterial stiffness in elderly women remains unclear. Methods Ninety‐three elderly women (67.2 ± 5.3 years) were randomly divided into four groups; sedentary control (CON), higher dietary animal protein intake (HP), resistance training (RT), and combination of RT and HP (RT + HP) groups. Participants in the RT and RT + HP groups completed 12 weeks of resistance training (exercise intensity at 70% of one‐repetition maximum (1‐RM), three sets with 10 repetitions of leg extension and curls, 3 days/week). In addition to the daily diet, the HP and RT + HP groups consumed steamed chicken breast as a high‐protein diet. Results Percent changes in thickness (indices of muscle mass) and echo intensity (index of muscle quality) in the quadriceps muscle, 1‐RM of leg extension and curls (index of muscle strength), and circulating C1q levels (a potential biomarker of muscle fibrosis) in the RT and RT + HP groups significantly improved after both RT and RT + HP interventions ( P < 0.05). Percent changes in carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid β‐stiffness (indices of arterial stiffness), and circulating angiotensin II (a vasoconstrictor peptide hormone) levels via each intervention were significantly higher in the RT group (4.9 ± 12.7%, 13.8 ± 13.5%, 94.9 ± 132.7%, respectively), as compared with the CON group (−2.5 ± 5.9%, 0.2 ± 8.1%, 21.2 ± 79.3%, respectively) ( P < 0.05). Of note, no significant differences in the cfPWV, carotid β‐stiffness, and circulating angiotensin II levels between the RT + HP (−2.4 ± 9.3%, 2.4 ± 10.3%, −5.7 ± 29.6%, respectively) and CON groups were observed. Furthermore, significant positive relationships between the percent changes in circulating angiotensin II levels, and cfPWV ( r = 0.438, P < 0.01) and carotid β‐stiffness ( r = 0.328, P < 0.01) were observed. Conclusions The combination of moderate to high‐intensity resistance training and regular intake of steamed chicken breast as a high‐protein food could increase muscle mass, strength, and quality and could cancel resistance training‐induced increases in arterial stiffness in elderly women.