Principal Investigator:

Loretta DiPietro, PhD
Associate Fellow,
John B. Pierce Laboratory

Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Yale University School of Medicine

Research Interests

Many of the functional changes commonly ascribed to the aging process per se are similar to those induced by enforced bed rest or by removal from the earth's gravitational field (such as in extended space flights). Thus, sedentary behavior (or hypogravity) becomes a useful model for the study of aging. We propose that the portion of aging due to inactivity (that is, facultative aging) can be modified and, perhaps, reversed, thereby extending the maintenance of functional well-being closer to the time of life-expectancy. We use exercise as a counter-measure for aging in our research. With either single bouts or more long-term aerobic exercise training we can determine the degree of adaptation that occurs in a number of structural and functional indicators, such as body fat and muscle structure and lipid, glucose, and insulin regulation. We have been quite successful in training older people over the past eight years, using a variety of aerobic and resistance training techniques. We maintain on-site training facilities in Southbury and in West Haven, CT. Recently, we have begun recruiting older people from our neighborhood Senior Centers, allowing us to extend the benefits of our work to our own New Haven community.

Current Projects

Representative Publications