Effects of Parmigiano Reggiano on Exercise Induced Muscle Damage in Older Adults

Aging is associated with the loss of muscle mass and function (sarcopenia) and reduced tissue regenerative capacity.

Eccentric exercise (ECC) is a model of RET that can be used with the elderly, due to the ability of the muscle to combine high muscle strength production with low energy cost. ECC contractions are significantly more damaging to the muscles and produce greater muscle strength, for these reasons there is a greater risk of inducing muscle damage before the muscle is able to adapt.

Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) has some peculiar bromatological characteristics. The proteins contained in it, and in particular the potentially bioactive peptide sequences, can rapidly provide the amino acids necessary to promote muscle growth and repair during exercise. Furthermore, PR can be an important source of fatty acids, of which a significant amount of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which are known to have important clinical effects on body composition and metabolic health and can have a systemic anti-inflammatory effect.

Therefore, the central hypothes is that PR consumed during RET can provide more energy substrates and improve muscle recovery. To date, no studies have studied its function on recovery from exercise nor in the elderly.