British Society for Research on Ageing

Summary

Elaine O'Neill and Graeme L. Close, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Liverpool

Ageing is associated with a dramatic loss of skeletal muscle mass and function referred to as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia often results in a loss of independence in the elderly, an increased number of falls and premature morbidity (Close et al., 2005). Sarcopenia is thought to be caused by an imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation (Carmeli et al., 2002) and it has been reported that  a major contributor to protein synthesis in skeletal muscle is the insulin signalling cascade (Guillet and Boirie, 2005).