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Abstract #4021

Cross-sectional Relationships Between Muscle ATP Synthesis, Ambulatory Performance, and Age: Initial Findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA)

Seongjin Choi 1 , David A. Reiter 2 , Kenneth W. Fishbein 2 , Eleanor M. Simonsick 1 , Michael Schr 3 , Richard G. Spencer 2 , and Luigi Ferrucci 1

1 Translational Gerontology Branch, NIH/National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2 Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, NIH/National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States, 3 Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Gait speed has been established as the single most important predictor of morbidity in the elderly. In addition, muscle mitochondrial function plays a central role in mobility. 31P MRS of skeletal muscle permits the measurement of maximum ATP synthesis rate through the recovery time constant of phosphocreatine (τPCr) after exercise. In this cross-sectional study using the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging cohort, we assessed the associations between 31P MRS-determined mitochondrial function, age and ambulatory speed. We found that τPCr correlated well with maximum, but not with usual, walking speed, indicating its potential usefulness as a marker for maximum energy output.

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