Effects of dried tofu supplementation during interval walking training on the methylation of the NFKB2 gene in the whole blood of older women

• Published in: The journal of physiological sciences Vol. 68; no. 6; pp. 749 - 757
• Main Authors: Morikawa, Mayuko, Nakano, Sakura, Mitsui, Nobuo, Murasawa, Hisashi, Masuki, Shizue, Nose, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Elsevier Inc 01.11.2018; BioMed Central; Springer Japan
• Subjects: Aerobic capacity; Aged; Aging; Anti-inflammatory response; Atrophy; Dietary Supplements; DNA methylation; DNA Methylation - physiology; Exercise - physiology; Female; Humans; Interval walking training; Middle Aged; Muscle strength; Muscle Strength - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; NF-kappa B p52 Subunit - genetics; NF-kappa B p52 Subunit - metabolism; NFKB2 gene; Original Paper; Soy Foods; Soy products; Soy protein intake; Supplements; Thigh muscle strength; Treatment Outcome; Walking; Walking - physiology; Anti-inflammatory response; Thigh muscle strength; Soy protein intake; Interval walking training
• ISSN: 1880-6546; 1880-6562; 1880-6562
• DOI: 10.1007/s12576-017-0589-x

Muscle atrophy with aging is closely associated with chronic systemic inflammation and lifestyle-related diseases. Here, we assessed whether dried tofu intake during 5-month interval walking training (IWT) enhanced increases in thigh muscle mass and strength and ameliorated susceptibility to inflammation in older women. Subjects (n = 32, ~ 65 years) who performed IWT for > 6 months participated in this study. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: IWT + placebo intake (PLG, n = 16; 108 kcal, 0.2g protein, 5.5g fat, and 14.4g carbohydrate) and IWT + dried tofu intake (DTG, n = 16; 111 kcal, 9.6g protein, 6.0g fat, and 4.6g carbohydrate). They were instructed to repeat ≥ 5 sets of fast and slow walking for 3 min each at ≥ 70 and 40% peak aerobic capacity for walking, respectively, per day for ≥ 4 days/week. Immediately after daily exercise, subjects were instructed to consume the supplements assigned to each group. In the DTG, after IWT, the methylation increased at 4/6 sites in the promoter region of the NFKB2 gene in the whole blood (all, P < 0.04), with an 18% increase in the average methylation of the 6 sites (P = 0.035). On the other hand, in the PLG, the increase occurred at only 2/6 sites, with no significant increase in the average methylation of the 6 sites. No significant differences were observed in increases in thigh muscle strength or cross-sectional area between the groups (all, P > 0.2). Altogether, dried tofu supplementation during IWT likely enhanced the methylation of the NFKB2 gene more than IWT alone, without detectably enhanced increases in thigh muscle strength or cross-sectional area.