#591: Maintaining Functional Capacity with Age – Brendan Egan, PhD

In Podcasts by Danny LennonLeave a Comment

Listen Here:

For a full list of apps, go here. Or simply search “Sigma Nutrition” in your app of choice.
Or listen directly on the Sigma website here.

Introduction

Maintaining the ability to carry out everyday tasks and live independently is often described as a cornerstone of healthy ageing. But what actually happens to muscle strength, power, and functional ability as we get older? And how inevitable is their decline?

At what point do changes in muscle function really begin to matter for day-to-day life? Is loss of strength an unavoidable consequence of ageing itself, or does it reflect something more modifiable? If declines are not fixed, what kinds of training or lifestyle interventions genuinely make a difference, and how strong is the evidence behind them?

In this episode, exercise physiologist Dr Brendan Egan examines these questions through the lens of both epidemiological data and controlled training studies in older adults. What do we learn from short-term resistance training interventions lasting just a few months? Do the gains persist once supervised training ends? And what does this tell us about the practical challenges of maintaining functional capacity over the long term?

The conversation also explores the idea of “use it or lose it” in muscle function, the role of resistance training in extending healthspan, and how exercise programmes can be designed to support independence later in life. Ultimately, the episode asks a simple but crucial question: what does the evidence actually say about staying strong, capable, and functionally independent as we age?

Guest Information

Brendan Egan, PhD

Dr. Brendan Egan is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Physiology the School of Health and Human Performance at Dublin City University. Currently, he is Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Science and Health.

His current research investigates skeletal muscle function and adaptation across the life course, with special interest in the synergy between nutrition and exercise interventions ranging from athletes to older adults.

His research group performs human trials involving both acute and chronic interventions for outcomes around performance (physical and cognitive), recovery and adaptation, and have employed a wide range of experimental designs.

Before joining DCU, Dr. Egan spent several years at University College Dublin after spending two years of post-doctoral training with Prof. Juleen Zierath’s Integrative Physiology group at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. He is also currently a Visiting Research Scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL USA, and a Principal Investigator at the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at DCU.

Timestamps

  • [03:49] Understanding functional capacity
  • [05:56] The importance of muscle strength and mass
  • [14:09] Epidemiology and strength training
  • [25:07] Concurrent training in older adults study
  • [31:05] Barriers to strength training in older adults
  • [34:18] Misconceptions about older adults and exercise
  • [39:13] Exercise snacking and SBAE
  • [51:04] Key ideas segment (Premium-only)

Premium Content

You’re currently logged-in as a Premium subscriber. Access you content below.

You are currently not signed-in as a Premium subscriber.

To view our Premium content, please to your account or subscribe to Premium.

Not a Premium subscriber? Subscribe here!

Return to top of page

Leave a Comment