Zayas SE, Fundora ÁV, Santana PS

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 152-176
PDF size: 794.64 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Sarcopenia denotes changes caused by aging upon the structure and function of skeletal muscle. Sarcopenic muscle might exhibit reduced volumes and sizes, greater fat infiltration, and lower muscle strength, all of these leading to loss of the subject´s validism and autonomy. Given the participation of skeletal muscle upon bipedestation and locomotion, and peripheral response to insulin action, sarcopenia might worsen frailty in the elderlies. Sarcopenia can be recognized by means of several techniques for reconstruction of body composition. Subject´s handgrip strength and capacity to sustain repetitive muscle efforts during prespecified time intervals might also serve to assess muscle strength. Sarcopenia is caused, in part, by deprivation of sex steroids following the cease of gonadal steroidogenesis. Other influences might contribute to the sarcopenic damage such as sedentarism and unhealthy feeding. Hence, a healthy feeding, physical activity and regular practice of physical exercise are primordial interventions for preventing sarcopenia firstly; and treatment and amelioration of this condition, secondly. Ergogenic aids (creatine among them) might be used as an adjuvant therapy. Administration of anabolic steroids might be considered in those patients in whom therapeutic effectiveness of previously mentioned interventions is exhausted, or when a short-term risk reduction of falls, prostration and disability is desired.