Physical Exercise Improves Physiological Aspects in Aged Skeletal Muscle

Older people deal with many age-related diseases, such as decreased cognitive function and cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and metabolic disorders. One of the common diseases whose prevalence increases with aging is sarcopenia, a musculoskeletal disease. Sarcopenia is defined by decreased skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. The decrease in skeletal muscle with age is related to a change in body composition characterized by increased fat mass and lean mass decline. The aggravation of sarcopenia is accelerated as a result of physical inactivity, which later contributes to loss of aerobic fitness and cognitive decline, which leads to impairment of the quality of life. Sarcopenia is also characterized by a decrease in mitochondrial quality, quantity, and function, which leads to a reduction in ATP synthesis and energy expenditure. Physical exercise is known to improve and prevent the age-related loss of skeletal muscle via increased respiratory function, metabolic function, fat oxidation, body composition, neurogenesis, and cognitive alteration.

Moreover, exercise tremendously affects metabolism and physiological processes in skeletal muscle, expressed by increased muscle mass, and muscle strength. Therefore, physical activity intervention can improve muscle mass and function with age and delay sarcopenia. Understanding the physiological effects of physical activity allows us to enhance active life expectancy and quality of life in old age.