# The role of type 2 diabetes on skeletal muscle atrophy and recovery following bed rest in older adults

> **NIH NIH R01** · ADVENTHEALTH ORLANDO · 2021 · $703,318

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Loss of muscle mass during periods of disuse due to illness or hospitalization and poor recovery have serious
health consequences for older adults. The mechanisms underlying the atrophy response to disuse and
subsequent recovery in humans, however, are not known.
We posit that poor mitochondrial energetics and altered muscle lipid metabolism contribute to greater disuse-
induced muscle atrophy and poor recovery. In addition, we believe that older subjects with type 2 diabetes
have reduced mitochondria capacity and excess muscle lipids, which exacerbates the deleterious effect of bed
rest on muscle mass and impairs recovery.
Mitochondria play a fundamental role in muscle health and impaired mitochondrial energetics and muscle lipids
have been shown to contribute to human aging and type 2 diabetes. The role of mitochondrial energetics in
human muscle atrophy and recovery is not known. In this project, we will test the hypothesis that altered
mitochondrial energetics in muscle atrophy and recovery via cardiolipin remodeling, elevated reactive oxygen
species (ROS) emission and accumulation of specific muscle sphingolipids blunt anabolic stimuli and
contribute to muscle atrophy and poor recovery.
The overall objective of this project is to decipher mechanisms by which mitochondrial energetics and muscle
lipids underlie early muscle catabolic and anabolic responses to disuse and recovery. Studying older adults
with type 2 diabetes and using an exercise recovery program will provide a physiological context and will allow
us to delineate novel mechanisms. Through innovative time course studies and measurements in serial human
muscle biopsies, we will place the etiology of muscle atrophy firmly in the context of mitochondrial biology and
will contribute to a better precision medicine approach to prevent and treat disuse atrophy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10231270
- **Project number:** 5R01AG060153-04
- **Recipient organization:** ADVENTHEALTH ORLANDO
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul Martin Coen
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $703,318
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10231270

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10231270, The role of type 2 diabetes on skeletal muscle atrophy and recovery following bed rest in older adults (5R01AG060153-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10231270. Licensed CC0.

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