Aging Effects
Skeletal muscle fibers decrease in diameter, resulting in an overall reduction in strength and endurance. This causes a loss of power, especially in the extensor muscles and can result in the "stooped" appearance as well as a tendency to bend (flex) the hips and knees.
Together with changes in the skeletal structure, muscular effects will produce a decrease in height. Cardiovascular performance also decreases with age and blood flow to active muscles does not increase with exercise as rapidly as it does in younger people.
Tolerance for exercise decreases, partly from the tendency for rapid fatigue as other body systems also decline. In addition, there is also a reduction in thermoregulatory ability, which leads to overheating. No matter what the age, extremely demanding exercise is not as important as regular exercise. In fact, extreme exercise in the elderly may lead to problems with tendons, bones, and joints. The ability to recover from muscular injuries also decreases. When injuries occur, inflexible scar tissue forms at a faster rate than tissue repair, thus causing a further loss of mobility.
Mitochondrial function in muscles decrease, especially in muscles not regularly exercised. Regular exercise also delays muscular atrophy, which is also the result of a gradual reduction in motor neurons. In addition, tissue atrophy does cause a decrease in the mass of most organs, which ultimately affects muscle strength and the slowing of reflexes.
Tendons and ligaments become less flexible. Therefore, joints have a decreased range of motion. A thinning of the articular cartilage and bony overgrowths in the joints contributes to joint stiffness which, if not exercised, will become a permanent immobility.
This page was updated in November 2005.
