Muscle Loss With Aging

After a person reaches age thirty, he or she can expect gradual muscle tissue loss called sarcopenia to slowly set in. The term "sarcopenia," which derives from the Latin roots "sarco" for muscle and "penia" for wasting, is the natural and progressive loss of muscle fiber due to aging. Every person aged thirty and above has sarcopenia to some degree. Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are related and often occur simultaneously, because use of the body's muscles provides the mechanical stress needed to put pressure on the skeletal structure and maintain bone mass. Inactivity leads to loss of both muscle mass and bone mass and can put older adults on a downward health spiral that is exacerbated by surgery, traumatic accidents, or even illnesses that cause prolonged rest. Fat storage also plays a role in sarcopenia and thus osteoporosis as well. If muscle tissue is marbled with fat, it will be less strong than lean muscle tissue. Muscle function is inversely related to increases in intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), which may be just as insidious as visceral fat, the abdominal "spare tire" that increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and early death. Excessive fat storage in muscles can be a sign of systemic inflammation. Researchers at the University of Utah's Health Sciences Center's Skeletal Muscle Exercise Research Facility are trying to find the connection between sarcopenia and chronic systemic inflammation, which is increasingly recognized as the root cause of all degenerative diseases. sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews sarimnews Aging translates into a loss of muscle mass, loss of muscle function, and possible infiltration of fat into the muscle tissue. Yet the University of Utah researchers now have evidence that what we have long attributed to aging may be due to inactivity. That possibility raises interesting questions such as "is the loss of muscle mass preventable with more activity?," and "is the loss of muscle mass reversible with more activity?" Intermuscular fat no doubt reduces strength as the fat literally gets in the way of blood vessel and nerve functions in the muscle tissue. But researchers are continuing to see if some inflammatory factor also connects IMAT and sarcopenia. To combat the effects of sarcopenia, middle-aged adults will benefit most from a workout that emphasizes strength building and weight-bearing exercises. To combat the overall loss of energy effects with aging, adults need exercise routines that build endurance, instead of those requiring quick bursts of energy. Combining these elements would yield an exercise routine that incorporates, e.g., walking long distances (one mile or more) or using the treadmill and also some days set aside for lifting weights. Walking can maintain one's fitness level, but walking will not enable a person to recover muscle mass from a prolonged absence of exercise due to illness or inactivity. Developing strength requires resistance training and weight-bearing exercise -- not just the physical activity of walking. Strength reserves need to be built in a wellness environment.