Electrical stimulation (ES) counteracts muscle decline in seniors

The loss in muscle mass coupled with a decrease in specific force and shift in fiber composition arehallmarks of aging. Training and regular exercise attenuate the signs of sarcopenia. However,pathologic conditions limit the ability to perform physical exercise.We addressed whether electrical stimulation (ES) is an alternative intervention to improve musclerecovery and defined the molecular mechanism associated with improvement in muscle structure andfunction.We analyzed, at functional, structural, and molecular level, the effects of ES training on healthyseniors with normal life style, without routine sport activity.ES was able to improve muscle torque and functional performances of seniors and increased the sizeof fast muscle fibers. At molecular level, ES induced up-regulation of IGF-1 and modulation ofMuRF1, a muscle-specific atrophy-related gene. ES also induced up-regulation of relevant markersof differentiating satellite cells and of extracellular matrix remodeling, which might guarantee shapeand mechanical forces of trained skeletal muscle as well as maintenance of satellite cell function,reducing fibrosis.Our data provide evidence that ES is a safe method to counteract muscle decline associated withaging.© 2014 Kern, Barberi, Loefler, Sbardella, Burgraff, Fruhmann, Carraro, Mosole, Sarabon, Vogelauer, Mayer, Krenn, Cvecka, Romanello, Pietrangelo, Protasi, Sandri, Zampieri and Musarò.