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Muscle loss in old age linked to fewer nerve signals
Researchers say they may have worked out why there is a natural loss of muscle in the legs as people age - and that it is due to a loss of nerves. In tests on 168 men, they found that nerves controlling the legs decreased by around 30% by the age of 75. This made muscles waste away, but in older fitter athletes there was a better chance of them being 'rescued' by nerves re-connecting. The scientists published their research in the Journal of Physiology.
As people get older, their leg muscles become smaller and weaker, leading to problems with everyday movements such as walking up stairs or getting out of a chair.
Failure to expand the motor unit size to compensate for declining motor unit numbers distinguishes sarcopenic from non-sarcopenic older men (open, DOI: 10.1113/JP275520) (DX)
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @12:36AM
I had issues with muscle mass loss and weakness in my leg for several years.
I ignored it until it became clear that I needed to do something or I'd just randomly fall down unless I was completely focused on not doing so whilst walking.
It turns out that I had a nerve impingement (due to spinal stenosis) which cut off nerve impulses to/from my right leg.
I had bilevel lumbar laminotomy [wikipedia.org] surgery, and I could tell the difference as soon as I woke up on the recovery room post-surgery.
I felt pins and needles in an area of my quadricep where I had no feeling before. As I've recovered/rehabbed, I'm actually adding muscle mass back to my leg.
So, I'm living proof that such a loss of nerve signals does cause loss of muscle mass.