Why older adults respond differently to exercise
Official title: Multidimensional predictive modeling to understand mechanisms of exercise response heterogeneity in older adults
Funded at Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition · NIH-11189791 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether combining endurance and strength exercise and measuring body and blood markers can reveal why some older adults improve more than others.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pensacola, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,470,001 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG089192-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11189791 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults who are able to participate in supervised endurance and resistance exercise programs, including those with low fitness or muscle weakness, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe mobility limitations, unstable heart or medical conditions, or who cannot participate in exercise sessions are unlikely to be eligible or benefit.
What this research studies
You would take part in a supervised program that combines walking or cycling (endurance) with weight training (strength) following public health guidelines. Researchers will measure your fitness (VO2max), muscle strength and mass, and collect blood and other samples to look at cellular signs of aging such as mitochondria, inflammation, and protein maintenance. They will use computer models to link those baseline biology measures to how much your fitness and function change with exercise. That helps them figure out why some people respond strongly to exercise while others see little benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could enable tailored exercise plans that help more older adults gain strength, fitness, and better quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Prior trials show endurance and resistance training can improve fitness and strength but also demonstrate large individual differences, so using multidimensional biological and predictive modeling is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition
Pensacola, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bamman, Marcas M — Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition
- Study coordinator: Bamman, Marcas M
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This project tries real-time biofeedback to change how adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy walk so they have lower harmful foot pressure and better walking speed.
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Understanding how exercise affects older adults differently
This study is looking at how older adults react to different types of exercise, like running and weightlifting, to find out what makes each person respond differently, so they can create better exercise plans that help everyone stay healthy and feel good as they age.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.