Review Article: Exercise, Aging, and Muscle Protein Metabolism
Abstract
Age-associated alterations in muscle protein quantity and quality that adversely affect muscle structure, composition, and function have been referred to as sarcopenia. Muscle protein is metabolically active, and the age-associated loss of muscle protein mass is related to a loss of physical function and an inability to perform activities of daily living (physical frailty). It is important to maintain adequate reserves of muscle protein and amino acids as we age. As in all cachectic conditions, sarcopenia can be explained by an imbalance between the rates of muscle protein synthesis and muscle proteolysis, in which net muscle protein balance is negative. This review summarizes evidence that supports the notion that: (a). advancing age and physical frailty are associated with a reduction in the fasting rate of mixed and myosin heavy chain protein synthesis, which contributes to muscle protein wasting in advancing age; (b). this impairment can be corrected because resistance exercise acutely and dramatically increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in men and women aged 76 years and older; and (c). resistance exercise training maintains a modest increment in the rate of muscle protein synthesis and contributes to muscle hypertrophy and improved muscle strength in frail elderly men and women. The cellular mechanisms responsible for these adaptations, as well as the role of nutrition and hormone replacement in reversing sarcopenia, require further investigation.
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Exercise interventions such as RET or MET have been used as an effective method for improving muscle function and increasing muscle mass by stimulating muscle protein synthesis in older adults.
“Exercise interventions, such as resistance exercise training (RET) that is employed alone or comprises multicomponent exercise training (MET)—including aerobics, balance, and function tasks—have been used as an effective method for improving muscle function and increasing muscle mass by stimulating muscle protein synthesis in older adults [10,11,12,13,14].”
From Effects of Protein Supplementation Combined with Exercise Intervention on Frailty Indices, Body Composition, and Physical Function in Frail Older Adults (2018) · cites this paper as [12]
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- Authors
- Yarasheski, K. E.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Yarasheski, K. E.
- ORCID
- Yarasheski, K. E.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2003-10-01
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- M918-M922
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- OpenAlex
- W2111755100
- Cited by
- 173
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 4.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5p41rr000954-34)
- National Institute on Aging (P60AG013629)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK 59531, DK-54163, R01DK054163, DK49393, R01DK059531)
- National Center for Research Resources (RR 00954, RR.00036)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Keywords
- sarcopenia, muscle protein metabolism, resistance training, aging, muscle protein synthesis, proteolysis, physical frailty, myosin heavy chain, muscle hypertrophy, muscle strength, older adults, hormone replacement therapy, nutrition
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aging, Exercise Therapy, Humans, Muscle Proteins, Muscular Atrophy, Muscle, Skeletal
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