The Effect of Aging on Anaerobic and Aerobic Enzyme Activities in Human Skeletal Muscle

Abstract

The effect of aging on metabolic enzyme activity remains controversial, possibly due to physical activity differences. We examined the effect of aging on the enzyme activity for anaerobic and aerobic pathways in nonweight-bearing human skeletal muscle from relatively sedentary males. The muscle obliquus internus abdominis was analyzed for anaerobic (creatine kinase, adenylate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase) and aerobic (2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase) enzyme activities in two groups: middle-aged (29-54 years) and older (61-74 years) adults. All enzyme activities were lower in older versus middle-aged adults when results were expressed as muscle wet weight (p <.05). When activity was expressed relative to the protein content, only lactate dehydrogenase remained significantly lower in older versus middle-aged adults (p <.001). In conclusion, some of the reduction in muscle performance in older adults may be due to lower activity of the anaerobic and aerobic enzymes as well as protein content, not solely due to a decrease in physical activity.

Anaerobic performance in masters athletes

“…CK has recently been shown to be 21% lower in the obliquus internus abdominis muscle of older (61-74 years, n=11) men compared to middle-aged (29-054 years, n=13) men [80]. This finding supports previous data that observed age-related decreases in CK in human skeletal muscle [141].…”

“…However, many of the subjects within this study not only increased activity levels over the 5-year period but were already physically training and not a sedentary population. However, more recent research also suggests that LDH activity is markedly decreased in older adults, at least from studies that have examined total LDH activity in abdominal muscles [80,117]. Kaczor et al [80] compared the LDH activity in the obliquus internus abdominis muscle of middle-aged (29-54 years, n=13) and older (61-74 years, n=11) men and observed a highly significant (p<0.0003) almost two-fold decrease in LDH activity expressed per gram of wet weight or relative to total protein content in the older group.…”

“…However, more recent research also suggests that LDH activity is markedly decreased in older adults, at least from studies that have examined total LDH activity in abdominal muscles [80,117]. Kaczor et al [80] compared the LDH activity in the obliquus internus abdominis muscle of middle-aged (29-54 years, n=13) and older (61-74 years, n=11) men and observed a highly significant (p<0.0003) almost two-fold decrease in LDH activity expressed per gram of wet weight or relative to total protein content in the older group. However, while Pastoris and others [117] support this finding of decreased LDH activity in abdominal muscles, the same research team found no changes LDH activity in vastus lateralis or gluteus maximus muscles of 76 sedentary subjects (32 men, 44 women) between 15 and 91 years of age.…”

Is there an association between body temperature and serum lactate levels in hip fracture patients?

“…25 However, it has also been found that increasing age is associated with a decline in the anaerobic metabolic apparatus and a reduction in the lactate generator, lactate dehydrogenase, in particular. 26 A less pronounced rise of lactate in response to a physiological stress may therefore be the norm for the elderly. Elevated levels, even those that fall within the normal physiological range, are thus associated with physiological extremes, as reported by Uzoigwe et al and Callaway et al…”

Rapid torque development in older female fallers and nonfallers: A comparison across lower-extremity muscles

“…Motor time, the time from nervous activation to torque production, is longer in less active individuals (Bunce et al, 2004;LaRoche et al, 2007) and it increases with age (Bunce et al, 2004). Likely, the slowed motor time of fallers is representative of diminished excitation-contraction coupling including slowed calcium release or reuptake from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and decreased activity of metabolic enzymes such as creatine kinase and actomyosin ATPase (Prochniewicz et al, 2005;Kaczor et al, 2006;Pastoris et al, 2000). Alternatively, if fallers had reduced muscle mass and cross-sectional area, the slower motor time may have been due to reduced musculotendinous stiffness that would result in less immediate transfer of force from the muscle to the bone (Magnusson et al, 1997).…”