Muscle Changes in Aging: Understanding Sarcopenia

Overview

Journal Sports Health

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2014 Jan 16

PMID 24427440

Citations 65

Authors

Patrick N Siparsky

Donald T Kirkendall

William E Garrett Jr

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Unlabelled: Muscle physiology in the aging athlete is complex. Sarcopenia, the age-related decrease in lean muscle mass, can alter activity level and affect quality of life. This review addresses the microscopic and macroscopic changes in muscle with age, recognizes contributing factors including nutrition and changes in hormone levels, and identifies potential pharmacologic agents in clinical trial that may aid in the battle of this complex, costly, and disabling problem.

Level Of Evidence: Level 5.

Citing Articles

Body composition and CO dietary emissions.

Garcia S, Monserrat-Mesquida M, Mas-Fontao S, Cuadrado-Soto E, Ortiz-Ramos M, Matia-Martin P Front Public Health. 2025; 12:1432109.

PMID: 39897182 PMC: 11782150. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1432109.

Postprandial Aminoacidemia Following the Ingestion of Alternative and Sustainable Proteins in Humans: A Narrative Review.

Yimam M, Andreini M, Carnevale S, Muscaritoli M Nutrients. 2025; 17(2).

PMID: 39861341 PMC: 11767605. DOI: 10.3390/nu17020211.

Role of Medical Nutrition Therapy as Treatment of Sarcopenia in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes.

Gaglio A, Grancini V, Giacchetti F, Mirani M, Orsi E, Resi V Nutrients. 2025; 17(1.

PMID: 39796606 PMC: 11723121. DOI: 10.3390/nu17010172.

Loss of H3K9 trimethylation leads to premature aging.

Mrabti C, Yang N, Desdin-Mico G, Alonso-Calleja A, Vilchez-Acosta A, Pico S Res Sq. 2025; .

PMID: 39764087 PMC: 11702797. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4012025/v1.

Bioinformatic characterization of ENPEP, the gene encoding a potential cofactor for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Arppo A, Barker H, Parkkila S PLoS One. 2024; 19(12):e0307731.

PMID: 39661628 PMC: 11633960. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307731.

References

Millward D . Nutrition and sarcopenia: evidence for an interaction. Proc Nutr Soc. 2012; 71(4):566-75. DOI: 10.1017/S0029665112000201. View

Dillon E, Durham W, Urban R, Sheffield-Moore M . Hormone treatment and muscle anabolism during aging: androgens. Clin Nutr. 2010; 29(6):697-700. PMC: 2964430. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2010.03.010. View

Janssen I, Shepard D, Katzmarzyk P, Roubenoff R . The healthcare costs of sarcopenia in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003; 52(1):80-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52014.x. View

Muscaritoli M, Anker S, Argiles J, Aversa Z, Bauer J, Biolo G . Consensus definition of sarcopenia, cachexia and pre-cachexia: joint document elaborated by Special Interest Groups (SIG) "cachexia-anorexia in chronic wasting diseases" and "nutrition in geriatrics". Clin Nutr. 2010; 29(2):154-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2009.12.004. View

Barany M, Close R . The transformation of myosin in cross-innervated rat muscles. J Physiol. 1971; 213(2):455-74. PMC: 1331771. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009393. View

Stenholm S, Harris T, Rantanen T, Visser M, Kritchevsky S, Ferrucci L . Sarcopenic obesity: definition, cause and consequences. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008; 11(6):693-700. PMC: 2633408. DOI: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328312c37d. View

MacDonald N . Terminology in cancer cachexia: importance and status. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2012; 15(3):220-5. DOI: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328352a895. View

Kirkendall D, Garrett Jr W . The effects of aging and training on skeletal muscle. Am J Sports Med. 1998; 26(4):598-602. DOI: 10.1177/03635465980260042401. View

Candow D, Forbes S, Little J, Cornish S, Pinkoski C, Chilibeck P . Effect of nutritional interventions and resistance exercise on aging muscle mass and strength. Biogerontology. 2012; 13(4):345-58. DOI: 10.1007/s10522-012-9385-4. View

10.

Bainbridge D, Seow H, Sussman J, Pond G, Martelli-Reid L, Herbert C . Multidisciplinary health care professionals' perceptions of the use and utility of a symptom assessment system for oncology patients. J Oncol Pract. 2011; 7(1):19-23. PMC: 3014504. DOI: 10.1200/JOP.2010.000015. View

11.

Fiatarone M, Evans W . The etiology and reversibility of muscle dysfunction in the aged. J Gerontol. 1993; 48 Spec No:77-83. DOI: 10.1093/geronj/48.special_issue.77. View

12.

Chang H, Tsai S, Chen C, Liu W . Outcomes of hospitalized elderly patients with geriatric syndrome: report of a community hospital reform plan in Taiwan. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2010; 50 Suppl 1:S30-3. DOI: 10.1016/S0167-4943(10)70009-1. View

13.

Brown W . A method for estimating the number of motor units in thenar muscles and the changes in motor unit count with ageing. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1972; 35(6):845-52. PMC: 494191. DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.35.6.845. View

14.

Faulkner J, Larkin L, Claflin D, Brooks S . Age-related changes in the structure and function of skeletal muscles. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2007; 34(11):1091-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2007.04752.x. View

15.

Goodpaster B, Park S, Harris T, Kritchevsky S, Nevitt M, Schwartz A . The loss of skeletal muscle strength, mass, and quality in older adults: the health, aging and body composition study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006; 61(10):1059-64. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/61.10.1059. View

16.

Ray N, Chan J, Thamer M, Melton 3rd L . Medical expenditures for the treatment of osteoporotic fractures in the United States in 1995: report from the National Osteoporosis Foundation. J Bone Miner Res. 1997; 12(1):24-35. DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.1997.12.1.24. View

17.

Larsson L, Karlsson J . Isometric and dynamic endurance as a function of age and skeletal muscle characteristics. Acta Physiol Scand. 1978; 104(2):129-36. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1978.tb06259.x. View

18.

Mitchell W, Williams J, Atherton P, Larvin M, Lund J, Narici M . Sarcopenia, dynapenia, and the impact of advancing age on human skeletal muscle size and strength; a quantitative review. Front Physiol. 2012; 3:260. PMC: 3429036. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00260. View

19.

Frontera W, Meredith C, OReilly K, Knuttgen H, Evans W . Strength conditioning in older men: skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improved function. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1988; 64(3):1038-44. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1988.64.3.1038. View

20.

Abellan van Kan G, Cderbaum J, Cesari M, Dahinden P, Fariello R, Fielding R . Sarcopenia: biomarkers and imaging (International Conference on Sarcopenia research). J Nutr Health Aging. 2011; 15(10):834-46. DOI: 10.1007/s12603-011-0365-1. View