How does the muscular system change with age?
1 Answer
Loss of muscle cells, reduction of muscle power and specific muscular changes like that in sacrospinalis muscle.
Explanation:
As we age, sometimes beginning in our late 20s, a gradual loss of muscle cells or fibers occurs. By 40 years of age, a gradual decrease begins to occur in the size of each individual muscle. By the late 70s, 50% of our muscle mass disappears.
As aging continues, the time it takes for a muscle to respond to nervous stimuli decreases, resulting in reduced stamina and a loss of power.
Older adult women, in particular, may become bent over due to changes in the sacrospinalis muscle, which is found on either side of
the vertebral column. Its loss of power produces the hunchback appearance often seen in the older adults.
Remaining physically active can prevent many of the age-related changes that can occur in skeletal muscle. Consistent exercising such as walking can delay and decrease this effect of aging. Resistant exercise, like working out at the gym with some weights, is an even better way to maintain muscle mass.
