(Montreal) A team of Montreal researchers is trying to unravel the mysteries of muscle aging, as part of a project that might one day lead to more effective therapeutic interventions.
“We are trying to understand in humans what mechanisms are associated with the loss of muscle mass and strength”, summed up one of the project managers, Professor Gilles Gouspillou from the Department of Physical Activity Sciences of the University of Quebec in Montreal.
Researchers from McGill and Montreal universities are also participating in the project.
In particular, they are trying to determine whether muscle aging is primarily attributable to a dysfunction of the mitochondria (structures that are sometimes described as being the generators of cells) or to an alteration in the integrity of neuromuscular junctions, that is i.e. the connection between motor neurons and muscles.
“It is very established in animals, but there are few studies in humans, in particular because it is very difficult to access neuromuscular junctions, explained Professor Gouspillou. It’s not something easy to do. »
Researchers, he says, will try to determine if physical activity confers protection once morest these two potential causes of muscle aging.
“We know that physical activity is one of the most effective ways to curb muscle dysfunction that develops with aging, but the mechanisms by which physical activity exerts its beneficial effects are still poorly understood,” said Professor Gouspillou.
The idea of the project is therefore to identify what goes wrong first, said the researcher, to try to guide future therapeutic strategies, for example by avoiding preserving muscle mass that is no longer functional.
It’s “really fundamental” to better understand how muscle aging happens in humans, he said.
Skeletal muscle can make up to half the body mass of a normal-weight individual, making it the most important type of tissue in the entire body. Healthy muscles have been linked to multiple health benefits, while failing muscles can cause everything from simple weakness to insulin resistance.
The researchers have so far recruited regarding 140 of the 180 participants they want to rely on. They are looking for men who are non-smokers, who do not suffer from uncontrolled chronic illnesses and who do not consume more than two glasses of alcohol per day.
Inactive participants who wish to get back in shape will be offered a training program lasting three months.
All participants will be required to complete three two-hour site visits, one of which will include a muscle biopsy.
