Contribution to Book
Aging in skeletal muscle
Mechanical Properties of Aging Soft Tissues
(2015)
Abstract
Aging skeletal muscle exhibits changes in the tissue architecture, muscle fiber type, and other molecular substructures. These changes often result in sarcopenia, characterized by losses in muscle mass, force generation, contractile velocity, and power. Total force generation is the primary indicator of skeletal muscle strength, and is the summation of the active force produced by muscle fibers and a passive force from the tissue stretching. The elastic and viscoelastic mechanical properties of skeletal muscle can be measured experimentally in vitro, in situ, as well as in vivo for both active and passive muscle. These properties can provide insight into the causes of decreased force generation, but few studies have explored how they change with age. Although some aging-induced increases in passive elastic stiffness have been documented, their effects on overall muscle function are still unknown. A more complete description of aging effects requires further research into changes in the viscoelastic properties of skeletal muscle and their underlying structural mechanisms.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
Editor
Brian Derby and Riaz Akhtar
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Series
Engineering Materials and Processes
ISBN
978-3-319-03970-1
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-03970-1_4
Citation Information
Yingxin Gao and Matthew Leineweber. "Aging in skeletal muscle" 1Mechanical Properties of Aging Soft Tissues (2015) p. 75 - 93 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/matthew-leineweber/13/