2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Preventive effect of green tea catechins and kinesitherapy on muscle weakness in postmenopausal women.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	19700601
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Eating habits, studies on eating habits
Research Institution	Gifu Women's University (2007-2008, 2010) Aichi Medical College for Physical and Occupational Therapy (2009)
Principal Investigator	MOCHIZUKI Miyako Gifu Women's University, 短期大学部・健康栄養学科, 助教 (20367858)
Project Period (FY)	2007 – 2010
Keywords	緑茶 / カテキン / 更年期 / 筋肉 / 運動負荷 / 栄養教育
Research Abstract	It is well known that sex hormone deficiency affects body composition and various functions in postmenopausal women. We studied the effect of exercise on ovariectomized (OVX) mature multiparous rats. Sprague-Dawley rats wereovariectomized and divided into three different groups : OVX sedentary, treadmill-trained (three times a week for 20 weeks) and green tea catechins supplemented groups. Exercise training decreased body weight gain, fat weight around the uterus and plasma triglyceride content significantly compared with the sedemtary group. Extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscle weights and their glycogen content showed a significant increase in thetraining group. These result suggested that green tea catechins intake and kinesitherapy can prevent muscle weakness in postmenopausal women.