Page 2 of 58 online English Teachers | Private teacher. Home teacher Directory | Tutor India
What is the effect of aging on skeletal muscles?
As age declines the structural
and functional changes in skeletal muscle in different species, inclusive of humans,
muscle transformation in humans start with aging which causes frailty and
disabilities. The changes in body
composition form the ground for many metabolic disorders, example insulin
resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, which in turn results
in an increased rate of cardiovascular death. Muscles lose its mass as we grow.
There is a decrease in the synthesis of many muscle proteins, mainly of myosin
heavy chain and mitochondrial proteins.
Structural and
functional changes related to diseases that are general in older people are hard
to figure out. Environmental factors mainly influence the rate of aging.
Moreover, the aging process occurs in different ways among different tissues, aging-related
changes in one organ might affect the functions of other organ in a body. With
aging, loss of skeletal muscles in humans is unavoidable. There is a continuous
loss of muscle fibres which begins at the age 50 of years and
persist as we age. A research shows
approximately 50% of the fibres are lost from the limb muscles. The degree of
atrophy of the fibres is largely dependent on the habitual level of physical
activity of the individual. Athletes maintain a high level of fitness throughout their life,
even though their performance declines after the age of 40.
Research shows the creatine supplementation enhances phosphocreatine
energy system. It allows users to maintain greater work intensity
for longer durations of time. It has been observed in active
older adults that
creatine supplementation may be able to have
similar effects to that commonly displayed in younger adults supplementing with
creatine
Gradually as humans age, there
is a loss of muscle function, and predictable age-related skeletal muscle loss.
The typical adult loses muscle mass with age; At the cellular level, muscles
loose both cross-sectional area and fibre numbers, fibres are most affected by aging. The combination of
these factors leads to an increased percentage of in older adults. The aerobic
enzymes appear to decline with age. Aging skeletal muscle produces less force
and there is a general "slowing" of the mechanical characteristics of
muscle. However, neither reduced muscle demand nor the subsequent loss of
function is unavoidable with aging. These losses can be minimized or even
reversed with training. Endurance training can improve the aerobic capacity of
muscle, and resistance training can improve central nervous system recruitment
of muscle and also the increase muscle mass.
So to conclude we can say that physical
activity throughout life should be encouraged to prevent much of the
age-related impact on skeletal muscle.
