Histopathology of the skeletal muscle during the aging and scientific knowledge to practice the exercise theraphy and sarcopenia prevention

Abstract

During the aging process, the skeletal muscle presents well-known morphological alterations. Muscle wasting reported by aging people and
observed by health professionals represent a progressive decline in the mass, defined as sarcopenia. Several genetic factors might be involved in this complex process but it is also widely affected by environmental factors. In this review the histopathological characteristics of the skeletal muscle related to the aging process such as predominant muscular atrophy of the glycolytical fibers; proportional increase of oxidative fibers; decrease in total number of fibers; quantitative variations in the muscle strength; effects of the central nervous system such as alfa motor neuron loss; and contractile properties alterations of the motor units are reported. Moreover, other studies with several variables that show mainly the positives effects of the resistance physical training on this population are reported. At the end of this review, the preventive application of the therapeutic practice are suggested with the purpose of improving muscle strength, isolated or in association of the endurance training, during the
aging process.