# GROWTH FACTORS AND EXERCISE IN OLDER WOMEN

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 1992 · $216,652

## Abstract

Aging is associated with reductions in muscle mass, strength, and
endurance, while fat mass (especially central adiposity) and the associated
metabolic abnormalities are increased.  These "age related" changes may
have profound effects on physical function and predispose to dependence.
A recent study found significant improvements in fat free mass, fat mass,
bone mass and skin thickness in older growth hormone (GH) deficient men
following six months of subcutaneous recombinant GH administration.  The
interpretation of that study is limited by its failure to measure changes
in strength, endurance, distribution of fat, and function status or to
carefully document the metabolic side effects of therapy.  Furthermore, the
study was conducted in GH deficient males, a small subpopulation of those
elders at risk for frailty.

We propose to use a prospective, randomized, double blinded, partial
factorial study design in a group of women who are not already frail to:
(1) assess the positive and negative physiologic effects of a 6 month
intervention with synthetic growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) alone
or in combination with either endurance (ET) or strength (ST) training; (2)
define any potential therapeutic relationships between GHRH administration
and exercise, including additive effects or the ability of exercise to
mitigate metabolic side effects; (3) determine whether ST alone can
maintain any benefits attained in the initial 6 month use of GHRH alone or
in combination with ST; (4) assess how any observed physiologic
improvements translate into measurable gains in physical functional status.

We have chosen to use GHRH instead of GH because its smaller size
potentially make it cheaper to produce, and more likely to be administered
orally or nasally.  More importantly, there is evidence that subcutaneous
administration of GHRH is associated with restoration of a more physiologic
pulsatile GH response in young and older subjects.

We hypothesize that:  1) both exercise (ET or ST) or GHRH administration
will improve strength body composition and function, and that exercise plus
GHRH will be additive; 2) ET will, to a greater extent, mitigate any
insulin resistance observed associated with GHRH, while ST will produce
greater gains in strength and fat free mass; 3) the improvements after 6
months of GHRH alone or GHRH plus ST will be maintainable with an
additional 6 months of ST alone; 4) the physiologic gains following GHRH,
exercise or the combination will translate into measurable improvement in
functional performance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122909
- **Project number:** 1R01AG010943-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HD1WMN6945W6
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert S Schwartz
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $216,652
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1992-09-01 → 1997-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122909

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122909, GROWTH FACTORS AND EXERCISE IN OLDER WOMEN (1R01AG010943-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122909. Licensed CC0.

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