A kinesiology research study was a game changer for 69-year-old Wayne Greenway. While the study’s over, Greenway continues to work out three days a week at the Pulse and plans to lace up for a 5K run on Toronto Island in September.<\/p>\n
BY Jay Robb, Faculty of Science<\/p>\n
July 31, 2025<\/p>\n
Wayne Greenway came to McMaster in a bid to stay out of a long-term care home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 69-year-old was getting weaker and didn\u2019t know why. Greenway worried what would happen to his quality of life if he kept losing strength at what felt like an accelerated clip \u2013 would climbing the stairs to his apartment, carrying groceries home from the store or just getting out of bed in the morning become impossible?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then came three hard falls that didn\u2019t break any bones but left Greenway badly shaken. His doctor made the diagnosis of sarcopenia \u2013 a common age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that had arrived ahead of schedule for Greenway. He was told he\u2019d wind up in a long term care home if he did nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSnooze and I\u2019d lose my independence,\u201d says Greenway. \u201cI needed to stay strong to slow my sarcopenia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He started working out a neighbourhood gym to build back muscle and regain strength. But Greenway didn\u2019t know what equipment to use or how hard to push himself during his workouts. He kept getting injured, with sprains and strains that left him discouraged and laid out on the couch at home.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Greenway reached out to his personal and professional networks for advice. More than a few people told Greenway to hire a personal trainer. Having someone put together an exercise routine and supervise his workouts sounded great, but the cost was prohibitive. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Greenway connected with McMaster\u2019s Physical Activity Centre of Excellence, and learned about the MiCol \u2013 milk versus collagen \u2013 study. It was being led by PhD students Tom Janssen and Caroline Lowisz in the Protein Metabolism Research Lab, under the supervisor of Stuart Phillips, a kinesiology professor and Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The three-month study aimed to show whether collagen or whey protein does a better job of building muscle and strength at an older age while performing a lighter weight training protocol. The study also aimed to improve the research participants\u2019 physical function.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like the study was designed specifically for me,\u201d says Greenway. There were six-hour measurement days at the start and end of the study, plus muscle biopsies. He\u2019d spend three days a week working out at PACE under the close supervision of student volunteers from the research lab \u2013 no more being waylaid by injuries. He\u2019d also get a free supply of protein supplements. \u201cAnd I\u2019d do my part to help advance science.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Greenway signed up and was admitted into the study. When it wrapped up in April, Greenway continued his workout routine, with resistance exercises three days a week at the Pulse Fitness Centre at McMaster. He\u2019s also worked more protein into his daily diet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWords can\u2019t even begin to express the depth of my gratitude,\u201d Greenway says about the study and the team of researchers and students. \u201cThe results have been life changing.\u201d He now walks faster, climbs stairs with ease and hasn\u2019t fallen once since he started working out at PACE and the Pulse. Above all, the study restored his confidence and cemented regular exercise as a lifelong habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe study provided exactly the right structure and expertise when I needed it the most. Tom and Caroline aren\u2019t only advancing science \u2013 they\u2019re transforming lives, mine included.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Greenway was far more than just a participant in their research study, says Lowisz. \u201cHe was a driven individual, a warm presence and a valued mentor to our student volunteers. Wayne\u2019s enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to a healthier life \u2013 and encouraging others to do the same \u2013 captured exactly what this research is all about. Helping individuals like Wayne live fuller, healthier lives is the true heart of our work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Janssen says his initial focus was on how the study would move science forward. But then he watched Greenway and the other participants working out at PACE. \u201cA switch flipped. Instead of being numbers in a spreadsheet, they became real people with stories and struggles, hopes and dreams. That opened my eyes to what our study \u2013 and exercising in general \u2013 can add to people\u2019s lives. Their physical health improved and so did their mental health \u2013 that was something I\u2019d underestimated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Greenway was the ideal research participant, says Janssen. \u201cWayne was cautious at the start but also curious and hopeful. We could see him getting stronger after just a few weeks of training. He\u2019d show up at PACE with the biggest smile on his face. Everyone who worked with Wayne is incredibly honoured to have been a part of his amazing journey.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That journey will include a 5K race at the annual Toronto Island Run on Sept. 7. Greenway used to be a runner and he can already jog for two kilometres without needing a break. He likely won\u2019t be the first to cross the finish line, but there won\u2019t be anyone else on Centre Island with a bigger smile or an entire team of researchers back at McMaster cheering them on. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A kinesiology research study was a game changer for 69-year-old Wayne Greenway. While the study’s over, Greenway continues…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38511,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,28019,84,28020],"class_list":["post-38510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-faculty-of-science","tag-health","tag-kinesiology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}