# Diversity Supplement for Heather Quiriarte

> **NIH NIH R21** · LOUISIANA STATE UNIV A&M COL BATON ROUGE · 2020 · $30,094

## Abstract

SUMMARY OF CURRENTLY FUNDED PROJECT (1 R21 AG058181-01A1)
Resistance Exercise and Low-Intensity Physical Activity Breaks in Sedentary Time to Improve Skeletal
Muscle and Cardiometabolic Health in Older Adults – REALPA Breaks in Sedentary Time Pilot Study
Although awareness of the detrimental impact that sedentary behavior has on skeletal muscle and
cardiometabolic health has increased over the last 20 years, more than 60% of older adults remain sedentary
for greater than 8 hours per day. Moreover, 80% to 90% of adults 60 years of age or older do not meet the
current public health guidelines for aerobic exercise (AE) or resistance exercise (RE) based physical activity
(PA). Collectively, these adverse health behaviors contribute to the development of multiple chronic medical
conditions commonly afflicting older adults, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
sarco/dynapenia, frailty, and premature mortality. Emerging evidence suggests that breaking up sedentary time
with light intensity PA (LPA) improves muscle and cardiometabolic health. Recent data also suggest that RE
combined with moderate intensity AE effectively improves muscle and cardiometabolic health in older adults.
However, the impact that RE combined with LPA breaks in sedentary time has on muscle and cardiometabolic
health in older adults remains unknown. The overall objective of this pilot study is to determine the effect of 16
weeks of RE alone or RE combined with LPA breaks in sedentary time on muscle and cardiometabolic health.
The central hypothesis is that the addition of LPA breaks in sedentary time will enhance RE-induced
improvements in muscle and cardiometabolic health in sedentary older adults. Our overall approach to test our
central hypothesis is to recruit and study 36 physically inactive community dwelling older adults (65-80 years)
who are randomized to 16 weeks of either (i) RE (2 x/wk), (ii) RE (2 x/wk) and LPA breaks in sedentary time (5
d/wk, 6x10 min breaks per day at 2 METS, ~500 kcal/wk above resting metabolism), or (iii) RE (2 x/wk) and
moderate intensity AE (3 d/wk, 50 min/session at 4 METS, ~500 kcal/wk above resting metabolism). The
effect that these PA interventions have on muscle health will be measured by changes in muscle strength,
mass, and quality (strength/mass) using isokinetic dynamometry and dual-x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (primary
outcomes). In addition, improvements in muscle oxidative capacity will be measured using high-resolution
respirometry and oxidative damage to muscle proteins by immunoblotting (secondary outcomes). The effect
that these PA interventions have on cardiometabolic health will be measured by changes in body composition
by DXA, fasting blood glucose and lipids by a clinical chemistry panel and glucose tolerance by a mixed meal
tolerance test (primary outcomes). Additionally, improvements in immunometabolic health will be measured by
changes in low-grade systemic inflammation (e.g., TNFα) using immunoassays and immu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9982487
- **Project number:** 3R21AG058181-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** LOUISIANA STATE UNIV A&M COL BATON ROUGE
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN A. IRVING
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $30,094
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9982487

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9982487, Diversity Supplement for Heather Quiriarte (3R21AG058181-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9982487. Licensed CC0.

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