Efficacy of Age-Specific High-Intensity Stretch-Shortening Contractions in Reversing Dynapenia, Sarcopenia, and Loss of Skeletal Muscle Quality

Abstract

During the aging process, skeletal muscle performance and physiology undergoes alterations leading to decrements in functional capacity, health-span, and independence. Background: The utility and implementation of age-specific exercise is a paramount research agenda focusing on ameliorating the loss of both skeletal muscle performance and physiology; yet, to date, no consensus exists as to the most appropriate mechanical loading protocol design or overall exercise prescription that best meets this need. Thus, the purpose of this review is to highlight the most optimal type of exercise presently available and provide the most current, evidence-based findings for its efficacy. The hypothesis that high-intensity, stretch-shortening contractions (SSCs)-a form of "resistance-type exercise" training-present as the preferred exercise mode for serving as an intervention-based modality to attenuate dynapenia, sarcopenia, and decreased muscle quality with aging, even restoring the overall youthful phenotype, will be demonstrated. Conclusions: Appreciating the fundamental evidence supporting the use of high-intensity SSCs in positively impacting aging skeletal muscle's responsivity and their use as a specific and sensitive countermeasure is crucial. Moreover, from an applied perspective, SSCs may improve skeletal muscle quality and rejuvenate health-span and, ultimately, lead to augmented functional capacity, independence, and quality of life concomitant with decreased morbidity.

Role of Age-Related Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Sarcopenia

“…This condition affects nearly one-third of the older population [ 2 ], and is one of the main factors leading to negative health outcomes in older adults [ 4 ]. Over the years, sarcopenia has been better defined through the inclusion of reduced muscle strength and/or function (i.e., dynapenia) [ 5 , 6 , 7 ] in the conceptual framework [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Indeed, sarcopenia has recently been formally recognized as a disease by means of a novel ICD-10-MC code [ 13 ].…”

Effectiveness of Creatine Supplementation on Aging Muscle and Bone: Focus on Falls Prevention and Inflammation

“…Inflamm-aging has a negative effect on muscle protein metabolism and satellite cell function [5], two main contributing factors of sarcopenia (for a comprehensive and detailed review on the mechanisms of sarcopenia, please see [7]). The age-related loss in muscle mass is a small contributing factor to the decrease in muscle strength with aging, referred to as dynapenia [8,9]. Dynapenia leads to premature morbidity and mortality [10].…”

Effects of the Combination of β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl Butyrate and R(+) Lipoic Acid in a Cellular Model of Sarcopenia

“…Sarcopenia is characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass combined with decreased skeletal muscle quality (skeletal muscle performance per unit skeletal muscle mass) [1]. Age and several catabolic conditions such as starvation, diabetes, sepsis, inactivity and drugs (like glucocorticoids and chemotherapeutics) favor its development and strongly reduce quality of life, causing frailty [2].…”