%0 Journal Article
%T Age-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Strength
%A Geoffrey Goldspink
%J Journal of Aging Research
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/158279
%X Age-related muscle wasting and increased frailty are major socioeconomic as well as medical problems. In the quest to extend quality of life it is important to increase the strength of elderly people sufficiently so they can carry out everyday tasks and to prevent them falling and breaking bones that are brittle due to osteoporosis. Muscles generate the mechanical strain that contributes to the maintenance of other musculoskeletal tissues, and a vicious circle is established as muscle loss results in bone loss and weakening of tendons. Molecular and proteomic approaches now provide strategies for preventing age-related muscle wasting. Here, attention is paid to the role of the GH/IGF-1 axis and the special role of the IGFI-Ec (mechano growth factor/MGF) which is derived from the IGF-I gene by alternative splicing. During aging MGF levels decline but when administered MGF activates the muscle satellite (stem) cells that ˇ°kick startˇ± local muscle repair and induces hypertrophy. 1. Introduction When our hominid species evolved from several millions of years ago, ancient man was a hunter-gatherer, and survival required covering long distances. As well as stamina, homosapiens had to have sufficient strength to kill large animals for food. Ancient man would have sustained muscle injuries during hunting and tribal confrontations, and, from a Darwinian viewpoint, natural selection would have resulted in generations of offspring with strong and adaptable musculature; this includes rapid and effective tissue repair as this was also a requisite for survival and the continuation of the species. However, over most of this time the average life expectancy for most homosapiens was only about 25 years, that is to say a little beyond the age of reproduction. For example, in ancient Egypt the average life span was 24 years but now with developments in science and medicine this has increased by over 3-fold which presents problems for human society. In the more affluence society of today there are other factors such as overconsumption of food and alcohol and the failure to maintain an active, healthy life style. In Scandinavian countries family doctors prescribe exercise to improve the general fitness which enables individuals to maintain an active life style and to live longer. Longevity and the increasing percentage of elderly in the populations in many developed countries including the USA, Europe, and Japan present its own major socioeconomic as well as medical care problems. Therefore maintaining independence has now to be very much focused on the aging processes of
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jar/2012/158279/