The purpose of the course Training, Aging and Disuse is to acquaint students with physiological and molecular/cytological principles that determine (peak) power and fatigue characteristics of skeletal muscle and how these are changed by exercise training, disuse and aging. The level of knowledge that should be attained in those disciplines will allow students to understand how particular physiological conditions will affect muscle function at different levels of organizations (i.e. from whole motor unit to molecular signals in the muscle cells).
Course Description
Neuromuscular performance in terms of muscle peak power and maximal steady state power is impaired during aging and with a chronic decrease in usage, such as during bed rest, diseases, injuries, neuromuscular disorders and (most extreme) after a spinal cord injury. During the course, a critical overview is given of the current knowledge of short and long term adaptations of the neuromuscular system in response to training, aging, disuse and chronic disease, and how these relate to impaired muscle function. Underlying (molecular) processes leading to atrophy and reduced force generating capacity as well as a reduced endurance performance of the neuromuscular system are discussed. To obtain indications for how training or other interventions could effectively prevent these adverse effects and improve muscle function, a detailed overview is given of training induced changes in muscle phenotype and how these are related to molecular regulators of protein synthesis and degradation and mitochondrial biosynthesis. The content is mostly based on recent own research.
Study Characteristics
- Discipline: Human Movement Sciences: Sport, Exercise and Health (Research)
- Type of education: Lecture and study group
- Academic skill: N/A
- Graduate School: N/A
- Start date: TBD
- End date: TBD
- Minimum number of students: N/A
- Maximum number of students: N/A
- Admission criteria: Contact the course coordinator for information on admission criteria: dr. R.T. Jaspers
- Concluding assessment: N/A
- Assessment type: N/A
- With Certificate: N/A
- Schedule info: The course will consist of a series of lectures during which relevant questions are addressed and discussed. Using the literature assignments students should study the material independently (even though group work is encouraged) to attain a good understanding. In additional meetings relevant items are addressed in group discussions based on prepared questions/statements. Contact hours are intended to support that process and have the following goals:
- To accentuate importance of the content
- To place contents within a theoretical framework
- To identify content importance for the movement sciences
- To discuss content difficulties that may arise during independent study of assigned literature
- To practice solving problems using learned content.
In addition to the lectures, there are two laboratory practicals during which students get acquainted with measurement techniques of human muscle function in vivo and molecular analyses of gene expression and protein synthesis.
- Number of lessons: 10 lectures, 2 working lectures, 2 practicals
- Total course duration in hrs.: 148 hrs; 20 hrs / 10 lectures, 4 hrs / 2 working lectures, 4 hrs / 2 practicals, 120 hrs preparation for contact hours and exam.
- Sign up period: N/A
- Anticipated hrs of study: 120 hrs
- Available to: PhD students VU (and VU RMA students)
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Course Description & Study Characteristics
Course Description
Neuromuscular performance in terms of muscle peak power and maximal steady state power is impaired during aging and with a chronic decrease in usage, such as during bed rest, diseases, injuries, neuromuscular disorders and (most extreme) after a spinal cord injury. During the course, a critical overview is given of the current knowledge of short and long term adaptations of the neuromuscular system in response to training, aging, disuse and chronic disease, and how these relate to impaired muscle function. Underlying (molecular) processes leading to atrophy and reduced force generating capacity as well as a reduced endurance performance of the neuromuscular system are discussed. To obtain indications for how training or other interventions could effectively prevent these adverse effects and improve muscle function, a detailed overview is given of training induced changes in muscle phenotype and how these are related to molecular regulators of protein synthesis and degradation and mitochondrial biosynthesis. The content is mostly based on recent own research.
Study Characteristics
- Discipline: Human Movement Sciences: Sport, Exercise and Health (Research)
- Type of education: Lecture and study group
- Academic skill: N/A
- Graduate School: N/A
- Start date: TBD
- End date: TBD
- Minimum number of students: N/A
- Maximum number of students: N/A
- Admission criteria: Contact the course coordinator for information on admission criteria: dr. R.T. Jaspers
- Concluding assessment: N/A
- Assessment type: N/A
- With Certificate: N/A
- Schedule info: The course will consist of a series of lectures during which relevant questions are addressed and discussed. Using the literature assignments students should study the material independently (even though group work is encouraged) to attain a good understanding. In additional meetings relevant items are addressed in group discussions based on prepared questions/statements. Contact hours are intended to support that process and have the following goals:
- To accentuate importance of the content
- To place contents within a theoretical framework
- To identify content importance for the movement sciences
- To discuss content difficulties that may arise during independent study of assigned literature
- To practice solving problems using learned content.
In addition to the lectures, there are two laboratory practicals during which students get acquainted with measurement techniques of human muscle function in vivo and molecular analyses of gene expression and protein synthesis.
- Number of lessons: 10 lectures, 2 working lectures, 2 practicals
- Total course duration in hrs.: 148 hrs; 20 hrs / 10 lectures, 4 hrs / 2 working lectures, 4 hrs / 2 practicals, 120 hrs preparation for contact hours and exam.
- Sign up period: N/A
- Anticipated hrs of study: 120 hrs
- Available to: PhD students VU (and VU RMA students)
Would you like to register or want to know more?
Please contact the course coordinator dr. R.T. Jaspers: