Rebecca Chungath

• MBBS
• Understanding the relationship between muscle energetics and physical performance in older people – analysis of data from the ALFIE randomised controlled trial

Low muscle strength is common in older people and causes falls, hospital admissions and the need for care including care home admission. Understanding the causes of muscle weakness in older people will allow us to find ways to prevent and treat this important condition.

This project will use information that was collected during a clinical trial involving older people with muscle weakness. In the trial, we measured how muscles generate energy as well as how strong people were and how far they could walk in 6 minutes. We will analyse how different measures of muscle energy production are related to muscle strength and endurance, and also test what other factors might influence muscle energy production.

The results will help us to better understand why muscle strength declines with increasing age and help us to design treatments to keep older people strong and active.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Professor Miles Witham