Comparison of Muscle Mechanical and Histochemical Properties Between Young and Elderly Subjects

M. S. Chelly; K. Chamari; J. Verney; C. Denis

doi:10.1055/s-2006-923773

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2006; 27(11): 885-893
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-923773

Training & Testing

Comparison of Muscle Mechanical and Histochemical Properties Between Young and Elderly Subjects

M. S. Chelly¹ ^, ² , K. Chamari³ , J. Verney¹ , C. Denis¹

¹Research Unit “Physiology, Physiopathology of Exercise and Handicap”, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Etienne, France
²High Institute of Sport Science and Physical Activity, Ksar Saïd, Tunis, Tunisia
³Unité de Recherche “Evaluation, Sport, Santé”, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports, El Menzah, Tunisia

Abstract

We examined age-related human muscle fiber changes and their relation with maximal power scaled to muscle volume (specific power). Fiber type distribution and cross sectional area (CSA) were determined from m. vastus lateralis in 7 young (YS; 29.6 ± 5 years) and 7 elderly subjects (ES; 74.3 ± 3 years). Muscle volume and mean CSA of the thigh were anthropometrically measured. Muscle power was assessed by a series of accelerations on a cycle ergometer. Specific power was 35 % lower in ES than YS. Area ratios of IIa/I and IIx/I fibers were lower in ES than YS. By including single fiber power data from the literature to the present results, the decline in the specific power between YS and ES was 34 %, when data of both IIa and IIx fibers were considered. The decrease of the specific power with age on the whole muscle would be compatible with the age-induced changes in the muscle histochemical characteristics.

Key words

Aging - muscle power - muscle biopsy - histochemistry - anthropometry

Full Text

References

1 Andersen J L. Muscle fibre type adaptation in the elderly human muscle. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2003; 13 40-47
2 Aoyagi Y, Shephard R J. Aging and muscle function. Sports Med. 1992; 14 376-396
3 Arsac L M, Belli A, Lacour J R. Muscle function during brief maximal exercise: accurate measurements on a friction-loaded cycle ergometer. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1996; 74 100-106
4 Bonnefoy M T, Kostka L M, Arsac S E, Berthouze S E, Lacour J R. Peak anaerobic power in elderly men. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1998; 77 182-188
5 Bonnefoy M, Patricot M C, Lacour J R, Rahmani A, Berthouze S, Kostka T. Relation between physical activity, muscle function and IGF‐1, testosterone and DHEAS concentrations in the elderly. Rev Med Interne. 2002; 23 819-827
6 Bottinelli R M, Canepari M, Pellegrino M A, Reggiani C. Force-velocity properties of human skeletal muscle fibres: myosin heavy chain isoform and temperature dependence. J Physiol. 1996; 495 573-586
7 Brooke M H, Kaiser K K. Muscle fiber types: how many and what kind?. Arch Neurol. 1970; 23 369-379
8 Brooks S V, Faulkner J A. Contractile properties of skeletal muscles from young, adult and aged mice. J Physiol. 1988; 404 71-82
9 Chelly M S, Denis C. Leg power and hopping stiffness: relationship with sprint running performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001; 33 326-333
10 Coyle E F, Costill D L, Lesmes G R. Leg extension power and muscle fiber composition. Med Sci Sports. 1979; 11 12-15
11 Denis C, Linossier M T, Dormois D, Padilla S, Geyssant A, Lacour J R, Inbar O. Power and metabolic responses during supramaximal exercise in 100-m and 800-m runners. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1992; 2 62-69
12 Edman K A. The velocity of unloaded shortening and its relation to sarcomere length and isometric force in vertebrate muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1979; 291 143-159
13 Ferretti G, Narici M V, Binzoni T, Gariod L, Le Bas J F, Reutenauer H, Cerretelli P. Determinants of peak muscle power: effects of age and physical conditioning. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1994; 68 111-115
14 Frontera W R, Hughes V A, Fielding R A, Fiatarone M A, Evans W J, Roubenoff R. Aging of skeletal muscle: a 12-yr longitudinal study [In Process Citation]. J Appl Physiol. 2000; 88 1321-1326
15 Godt R E, Lindley B D. Influence of temperature upon contractile activation and isometric force production in mechanically skinned muscle fibers of the frog. J Gen Physiol. 1982; 80 279-297
16 Grassi B, Cerretelli P, Narici M V, Marconi C. Peak anaerobic power in master athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1991; 62 394-399
17 Grimby G. Muscle performance and structure in the elderly as studied cross-sectionally and longitudinally. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1995; 50 Spec No 17-22
18 Heath G W, Hagberg J M, Ehsani A A, Holloszy J O. A physiological comparison of young and older endurance athletes. J Appl Physiol. 1981; 51 634-640
19 Hunter S K, Thompson M W, Ruell P A, Harmer A R, Thom J M, Gwinn T H, Adams R D. Human skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ uptake and muscle function with aging and strength training. J Appl Physiol. 1999; 1858-1865
20 Izquierdo M, Ibanez J, Gorostiaga E, Garrues M, Zuniga A, Anton A, Larrion J L, Hakkinen K. Maximal strength and power characteristics in isometric and dynamic actions of the upper and lower extremities in middle-aged and older men. Acta Physiol Scand. 1999; 167 57-68
21 Jones N L, Makrides L, Hitchcock C, Chypchar T, McCartney N. Normal standards for an incremental progressive cycle ergometer test. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1985; 131 700-708
22 Jones P R, Pearson J. Anthropometric determination of leg fat and muscle plus bone volumes in young male and female adults. J Physiol. 1969; 204 63P-66P
23 Kent-Braun J A, Ng A V. Specific strength and voluntary muscle activation in young and elderly women and men. J Appl Physiol. 1999; 87 22-29
24 Kent-Braun J A, Ng A V, Young K. Skeletal muscle contractile and noncontractile components in young and older women and men. J Appl Physiol. 2000; 88 662-668
25 Klein C S, Marsh G D, Petrella R J, Rice C L. Muscle fiber number in the biceps brachii muscle of young and old men. Muscle Nerve. 2003; 28 62-68
26 Kohrt W M. Preliminary evidence that DEXA provides an accurate assessment of body composition. J Appl Physiol. 1998; 84 372-377
27 Kostka T, Bonnefoy M, Arsac L M, Berthouze S E, Belli A, Lacour J R. Habitual physical activity and peak anaerobic power in elderly women. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1997; 76 81-87
28 Lakomy H K. Measurement of work and power output using friction-loaded cycle ergometers. Ergonomics. 1986; 29 509-517
29 Larsson L, Li X, Frontera W R. Effects of aging on shortening velocity and myosin isoform composition in single human skeletal muscle cells. Am J Physiol. 1997; 272 C638-C649
30 Larsson L, Salviati G. Effects of age on calcium transport activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum in fast- and slow-twitch rat muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1989; 253-264
31 Levine J A, Abboud L, Barry M, Reed J E, Sheedy P F, Jensen M D. Measuring leg muscle and fat mass in humans: comparison of CT and dual-energy X‐ray absorptiometry. J Appl Physiol. 2000; 88 452-456
32 Linossier M T, Dormois D, Geyssant A, Denis C. Performance and fibre characteristics of human skeletal muscle during short sprint training and detraining on a cycle ergometer. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1997; 75 491-498
33 Marsh G D, Paterson D H, Govindasamy D, Cunningham D A. Anaerobic power of the arms and legs of young and older men. Exp Physiol. 1999; 84 589-597
34 Martin J C, Farrar R P, Wagner B M, Spirduso W W. Maximal power across the lifespan. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000; 55 M311-M316
35 Martin J C, Wagner B M, Coyle E F. Inertial-load method determines maximal cycling power in a single exercise bout. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997; 29 1505-1512
36 McComas A J. Skeletal Muscle Form and Function. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1996
37 Metter E J, Conwit R, Tobin J, Fozard J L. Age-associated loss of power and strength in the upper extremities in women and men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1997; 52 B267-B276
38 Radegran G, Blomstrand E, Saltin B. Peak muscle perfusion and oxygen uptake in humans: importance of precise estimates of muscle mass. J Appl Physiol. 1999; 87 2375-2380
39 Saltin B. Hemodynamic adaptations to exercise. Am J Cardiol. 1985; 55 42D-47D
40 Smerdu V, Karsch-Mizrachi I, Campione M, Leinwand L, Schiaffino S. Type IIx myosin heavy chain transcripts are expressed in type IIb fibers of human skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol. 1994; 267 C1723-C1728
41 Trappe S, Gallagher P, Harber M, Carrithers J, Fluckey J, Trappe T. Single muscle fibre contractile properties in young and old men and women. J Physiol. 2003; 552 47-58
42 Trappe T A, Lindquist D M, Carrithers J A. Muscle-specific atrophy of the quadriceps femoris with aging. J Appl Physiol. 2001; 90 2070-2074
43 Valour D, Ochala J, Ballay Y, Pousson M. The influence of aging on the force-velocity-power characteristics of human elbow flexor muscles. Exp Gerontol. 2003; 38 387-395
44 Visser M, Fuerst T, Lang T, Salamone L, Harris T B. Validity of fan-beam dual-energy X‐ray absorptiometry for measuring fat-free mass and leg muscle mass. Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study-Dual-Energy X‐ray Absorptiometry and Body Composition Working Group. J Appl Physiol. 1999; 87 1513-1520
45 Wang W, Wang Z, Faith M S, Kotler D, Shih R, Heymsfield S B. Regional skeletal muscle measurement: evaluation of new dual-energy X‐ray absorptiometry model. J Appl Physiol. 1999; 87 1163-1171
46 Widrick J J, Trappe S W, Costill D L, Fitts R H. Force-velocity and force-power properties of single muscle fibers from elite master runners and sedentary men. Am J Physiol. 1996; 271 C676-C683

Christian Denis

CHU Saint-Etienne, Hopital Bellevue, Unité Médecine du Sport et Myologie

42055 Saint-Etienne cedex 2

France

Phone: + 33477127985

Fax: + 33 4 77 12 72 29

Email: csouhaiel@yahoo.fr