Aging of Skeletal

Muscle

Dr. Franco Navazio

 Muscles
There are 660 skeletal muscles in adult humans

These constitute 45% to 50% of the normal body

weight

Their primary purpose is to provide “MOTILITY”

In addition, they represent the major site

for:
- energy transduction
- energy storage
- primary support system
 Anatomy
Skeletal muscle is composed of
Muscle fascicles are composed of
Muscle fibers
(multinucleated cells, the longest in the
body)
Each fiber is composed of MYOFIBRILS and,
within the myofibril structure, the
contracting machinery is the SARCOMERE
Sarcomeres are composed of digital thin
filaments, the “ACTINS,” and
interdigitated thick filaments: the
MYOSINS
 Anatomy
• 2 membranes surround the muscles:
– outer membrane: the basement membrane (very
permeable to solutes and proteins or to other
metabolites)
– inner membrane: SARCOLEMMA is located just
beneath the plasma membrane (a true cell
boundary)

• An intact sarcolemma is critically

important:
– it maintains a proper acid-base balance of the
fibers
– propagates the action potential (starting at the
neuromuscular plaque leading to the muscle
contraction)
 Contraction
The actors:
• Ca++ passes through the sarcolemma; in its
presence there is hydrolysis of ATP (ADP+P)
which releases energy
• ADP binds to ACTIN: meanwhile, a regulatory
protein (enzyme) TROPONIN (activated by this
energy) binds to MYOSIN forming TROPOMYOSIN--
shifting the ACTIN helix and leading to
CONTRACTION

End result: the ACTOMYOSIN complex

• Contraction could involve lengthening or
shortening mechanisms, depending on the movement
pattern
• MEMO the TETANIC contraction
In both sexes, strength & power can
only be obtained after myelination of
the afferent nerves, reached at
maturity.

Maximum gain in muscle strength is

reached in boys by testosterone & in
girls by estrogens, all of these
stimulated by gonadotropins.
Low levels of testosterone and other
androgens (e.g. androstenedione) are
also present in girls. The higher fat
percentage induced in girls by estrogens
should be considered. Female
swimmers with higher body fat
percentage have a significant advantage.

Growth hormone has lesser effect in

 Satellite Cells

Peripheral location
and activated by traumatic
stress.

They may provide

compensatory growth of existing
fibers
or growth of regenerating fibers
 SARCOPENIA:
Loss of muscle tissue
Most significant physiological change in
muscle is with AGE

Looking at muscles, fat and bones, we

see that:

At age 20, muscles are 45%, fat 20% and

bones 12% of the total weight

At age 75, muscles are 15%, fat 40% and

bones 8%

After age 49, there is a loss of 1.2 kg

 DURING SARCOPENIA:
The loss appears to be more
significant for the FAST FIBERS type 1
and 2 (or FO and FOG) while the SLOW
FIBERS (or SO) are more stable.
This fact clarifies at least in
part why a 9-year-old grandson
can beat grandpa easily in a 100m run
but will tire much sooner in a 10km
hike.

Reminder: The fast fibers (normally

 THE ETIOLOGY of SARCOPENIA due to
a) inactivity
b) decreased protein synthesis
c) plus neural, hormonal and nutritional factors

SARCOPENIA is aggravated:
by the relative deficiency of the anabolic
hormones (GH, Insulin-like GH, DHEA)
BUT and AGAIN
of greater importance is the DECREASE of
VIGOROUS MUSCULAR WORK

Any acute illness forcing elderly persons to

bed rest is provoking a loss of muscle mass of
about 1.5% per day
Hence for 1 day of bed rest, up to 2 weeks of
intense reconditioning is necessary.
 Sarcopenia harder for the FAST PALE
FIBERS,

but why?

WE DO NOT KNOW

but…

fiber characteristics can be modified

by different modalities like hormonal
administration and/or by specific
exercises or activities

The change in the fiber characteristic

 MYOPLASTICITY
May occur with different
clinical effects, namely:
-muscles enlarge with resistance type
of exercise
-increase their contractility (and the
number of mitochondria) with endurance
type of exercises
-all these changes are due to
stimulations and variations in the
characteristics of the MYOSINS (protein
 CLINICAL significance of
Myoplasticity:
RESISTANCE training: increases amount of
contractile proteins permitting increasing
efforts.
As a consequence, muscles do ENLARGE (a
decrease in Ca++ concentration is needed to
elicit 50%
ENDURANCE of maximal
training: tension).
increases the velocity of
contraction, increases the number of
mitochondria, and increases the capacity to
oxidize substrate
•Increase the Vmax (velocity of contraction)
of the SO (slow) fibers
•Decreases the Vmax of the FO (fast) fibers
 BENEFITS OF EXERCISE TRAINING
(see lecture by Prof. Brooks)
• Prevention of bone loss

• Improvement of postural stability

• Psychological benefits are to be added like

preservation of cognitive functions, reduced
incidence of depression and enhanced self-
•efficacy.
Prevention of colonic cancer possibly due to
increased GI transit time and stimulation by GH
and IGF-1.
 CLEAR BENEFITS OBTAINED WITH EXERCISE:

• Metabolic: increased insulin sensitivity

and glucose tolerance.
• Cardiovascular: reduces blood pressure,
helps vasodilation, reduces incidence
of arrythmias
•Cerebral: enhanced brain blood supply and
reduced episodes of thrombosis
• Improved equilibrium hence fewer falls
• Lower mortality rate
• Higher HDL/LDL ratio
 HOWEVER
PROLONGED AND SEVERE EXERCISE MAY
HAVE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS
NOTES OF ALERT
The Menstrual Cycle
• Should not be disrupted
• Excessive training stress and poor diet,
all increase the incidence of amenorrhea.
• The consequences are: infertility,
premature bone loss, muscolo-skeletal
injuries and scoliosis
• ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS are totally
preventable with planned and supervised
type of exercise
TO BE AVOIDED: THE ERGOGENIC AIDS
or the dreams, the failures, the
tragedies
THE BANNED SUBSTANCES: the DOPING CLASS
1) Stimulants like amphetamines, efedrine
and even caffeine if reaching a high blood
concentration
2) Beta-2-agonists like the inhalers
(ventolin, albuterol and terbutaline)
3) Narcotic analgesics (or pain killers)
like derivatives of morphine or codeine
4) Diuretics
5) Hormones like gonadotropin,
corticotropin and erythropoietin (EPO)
6) And certain restrictions for alcohol,
marijuana and corticosteroids
 ALSO TO BE AVOIDED:
THE ANABOLIC STEROIDS: namely testosterone but
especially its derivatives manufactured to:
a) minimize the sexual properties
b) maximize the anabolic properties
POSITIVE EFFECTS:
a) increase the rate of protein synthesis
b) increase strength, power and muscle size
c) improve endurance capacity
MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS:
a) serious liver toxicity
b) elevation of blood pressure
c) increase levels of LDL decrease levels of HDL
d) increase of the blood sugar level and in
addition masculinization, increased or decreased
libido, acne, depressed immune function and even
psychosis
 FINAL ADVICE
Plenty of water
Proper diet (10% protein, 25-30% fats
and 60-65% carbohydrates)

Liquid Cytomex or other rapidly

absorbed and utilized nutrients (like
Gatorade, etc.) for those wishing to
enter endurance type of exercises.

A DEBATED SUPPLEMENT: CREATINE!!!

But still to be proven and dangerous as well
(excessive hydration)