They discover the cause of the decline in muscle function with…

He Research Group on Exercise, Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle of the INCLIVA Health Research Instituteof Valenciahas led a study that provides a new evidence about him role of mitochondria -the cellular structures responsible for producing energy in our cells—in the muscle deterioration associated with aging and that he physical exercise can reverse it.

The resultspublished in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)show that the mitochondrial dysfunction contributes in a way direct to the loss of strength and functional capacityas well as the development of the fragility in the older peopleas reported INCLIVA in a statement.

Furthermore, the study shows that the physical exercise can partially reverse this deterioration as therapeutic strategy to preserve the muscle healthkeep the functional capacity and promote a healthier aging.

According to Europa Press, the fragility constitutes one of the great challenges associated with aging. As the life expectancythe number of older people who experience loss of strength, fatigueminor mobility and increased risk of falls and hospitalizations.

In fact, it is estimated that it affects approximately one in ten over 65 years old almost the half of people over 85. This progressive loss of muscle mass and strength not only decreases autonomy and the quality of lifebut also increases the dependence and the burden on healthcare systems. Therefore, maintain the functional capacity has become a target”priority“both in the geriatric medicine as in the aging research.

The role of mitochondria and the effect of exercise

In this regard, they point out that although it is not exactly known why some people age while maintaining a good physical ability and quality of life while others develop fragilitythe mitochondria are one of the factors “clue” in this process. The study shows that its deterioration this “closely related“with the loss of muscle function.

The researchers analyzed their role during aging and they observed that their deterioration contributes to the loss of functional capacity associated with age. However, the results also indicate that this process “it is not irreversible“.

Thus, it is concluded that “physical exercise proves to be a very effective tool to preserve the mitochondrial function and the physical performance during aging, even when training programs they start in late stages of life“.”Mitochondria have a remarkable capacity to adaptare essential for cellular functioning and his deterioration contributes to physical decline associated with age”, it is indicated.

In this context, the physical exercise acts like “a powerful stimulus” of mitochondrial remodeling that “improves the energy capacity of the muscle“and helps preserve the physical function during aging,” explains the Dr. Mª Carmen Gómez Cabrera, principal investigator of the studycoordinator of the aforementioned group of INCLIVAresearcher of Biomedical Research Center on Frailty and Healthy Aging Network (CIBERFES) of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) and Professor of Physiology of the University of Valencia (UV).

“The objective of this research was to determine if the mitochondrial dysfunction in it skeletal muscle this directly linked to the functional impairment associated with the fragility and evaluate if the muscle oxidative capacity inevitably decreases with age or if it can preserve yourself through exercise. This question is important because the fragility constitutes one of the main disability factors in the older people“he adds.

A combined experimental and clinical approach

This investigation has combined experimental animal models with analysis in people of different ages and levels of physical condition. In the part preclinicalwere used old mice subjected to a multicomponent physical training programas well as genetic models with reduced or improved mitochondrial function.

It was evaluated physical performancethe presence of fragility and multiple parameters related to the mitochondrial function in the muscle. In parallel, they analyzed muscle biopsies of 30 people between 17 and 99 years oldin which they were studied muscle mass indicators, mitochondrial activity and oxidative stress. This approach allowed us to evaluate both the biological mechanisms involved like your relevance in human aging.

Researchers from the INCLIVA Exercise, Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Research Grouphe Biomedical Research Center on Frailty and Healthy Aging Network (CIBERFES)he Network Biomedical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV) and the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) of the Carlos III Health Instituteamong other national and international centers. The first author of work is the Dr. Esther García-Domínguez (Monash Universityin Australia). Research groups such as the Dr. Pura Muñoz-Cánoves in Senior lab (San Diego) and the Dr. José Antonio Enríquez, GENOXPHOS (CNIC).

For the development of the study, we have used advanced technologies for the analysis of the mitochondrial functionhe oxidative stress and the energy metabolismincluding high resolution respirmetry, ultra high resolution liquid chromatography and indirect calorimetryacquired by INCLIVA with financing of Feder Funds.