AGE-RELATED MUSCLE ATROPHY DOES NOT AFFECT ALL MUSCLES AND CAN PARTLYBE COMPENSATED BY PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY - AN ULTRASOUND STUDY

In adults, the volume of quadriceps femoris muscle decreases with age, whereas the impact of increasing age on the size of other extremity m uscles was hardly studied. This study was conducted to examine whether age-related muscle atrophy is a general phenomenon, whether it is acc ompanied by increasing subcutaneous fat and whether physical activity can compensate age-related muscle atrophy. One hundred and two female and 101 male subjects (aged 19-86 years), with common physical activit y, as well as 29 women and 38 men (aged 20-81 years) regularly perform ing sports at least 3 h per week for several years (mean, 10 years in women and 14 years in men, respectively), were examined. Both in athle tes and control subjects, the thickness of thigh muscles significantly decreased with age (-15--21% from age 20 to age 70), whereas diameter of upper arm muscles remained nearly unchanged. Diameters of the calf muscle decreased with advancing age only in the control group. In mal e control subjects, the tibialis anterior muscle shrunk as well. Excep t for the vastus lateralis muscle in women, the relative loss of muscl e thickness was more evident in control subjects than in athletes. Thi ckness of the subcutaneous fat layers remained almost unchanged. In su mmary, not all extremity muscles exhibit age-related decrease in size. Regular physical activity can ease off muscle atrophy. (C) 1998 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.