Skeletal Muscle Effects on the Skeleton

Skeletal muscle has an important role in the development of a number of geriatric syndromes besides its vital role in movement and in the etiology of mobility disability. It is the primary site of glucose disposal, and muscle insulin resistance is a key feature in the etiology of type 2 diabetes. Sarcopenia is the primary reason for the age-associated decrease in basal metabolic rate and a declining energy requirement. Skeletal muscle expresses growth factors that may also exert an anabolic effect on the skeleton. The strong relationship between skeletal muscle mass and bone density has been described in a number of studies. This relationship is seen in children, adults, men, and women. Indeed, conditions that result in loss (weight loss, disuse, cachexia) or gain (resistance exercise, androgen therapy) in skeletal muscle also cause a gain in bone density.

Duke Scholars

Author William Joseph Evans Medicine, Geriatrics