Active Growth, Active Life: Eliminating Biomechanical Barriers to Physical Activity through Growth-Period Exercise

项目摘要 缺乏身体活动是一个严重的公共卫生问题，是疾病和死亡的主要原因， 在医疗费用方面造成了巨大的负担。解决这些问题需要消除 身体活动的障碍，包括源于我们自己身体的生物力学障碍。人类和 非人类的动物在成年时也更活跃，因为它们有一个更活跃的童年，但 其原因尚不清楚。我们认为，儿童时期的体育活动有助于健康 肌肉骨骼结构的发展，减少与运动有关的努力，从而诱发 成年人在一生中进行体育活动。以前的工作，包括我们自己最近的研究， 鸟类动物模型，支持这一观点：肌肉和骨骼的结构已被证明是适应 伴随活动的负荷，这种塑性适应在生长过程中尤其明显 期此外，有证据表明，早期活动有限的动物已经改变了肌肉机械功能， 优势和表现出较少的自发活动作为成年人。本R 01中提出的工作目的 应用是探索这些结构之间的联系，功能，和行为使用严格的多- 水平的实验方法，跨越组织水平的分析，运动分析和行为分析， 鸟类（珍珠鸡）和哺乳动物（小鼠）动物模型，其中每一种都提供了独特的优势。 具体来说，我们将：（1）调查产生持久变化所需的早期生活锻炼的剂量。 肌肉骨骼结构、运动功能和成年行为;（2）研究运动时间的影响 儿童期发病对这些结果的影响;（3）检查是否对早期生活有特殊的好处 身体活动与成人运动的关系。如果成功，这项工作将改变我们对 影响身体活动行为的因素，直接为改善活动相关的新干预措施提供信息。 整个生命周期的健康。

PROJECT SUMMARY Physical inactivity is a grave public health concern as a primary contributor to disease and mortality that also imposes a massive burden in terms of health costs. Addressing these problems requires the removal of barriers to physical activity, including biomechanical barriers originating within our own bodies. Humans and non-human animals alike are more active in adulthood when they have had a more active childhood, but the reasons for this are not well understood. We propose that physical activity during childhood promotes healthy development of musculoskeletal structure that reduces the effort associated with movement, thus predisposing adults to physical activity throughout their lifetimes. Previous work, including our own recent studies using an avian animal model, supports this idea: The structure of muscles and bones has been shown to adapt to loading that accompanies activity, and this plastic adaptation is especially pronounced during the growth period. Further, there is evidence that animals with limited early-life activity have altered muscle mechanical advantage and exhibit less spontaneous activity as adults. The purpose of the work proposed in this R01 application is to explore these connections between structure, function, and behavior using a rigorous multi- level experimental approach that spans tissue-level analysis, locomotor analysis, and behavior analysis in avian (guinea fowl) and mammalian (mouse) animal models, each of which offers distinct advantages. Specifically, we will: (1) investigate the dose of early-life exercise necessary to produce lasting changes in musculoskeletal structure, locomotor function, and adult behavior; (2) study the effects of the timing of exercise onset in childhood on these outcomes; and (3) examine whether there are special benefits for early-life physical activity in relation to adult-onset exercise. If successful, this work will change our understanding of the factors influencing physical activity behavior, directly informing new interventions that improve activity-related health throughout the lifespan.