TITLE:
Effect of aging on the relationship between capillary supply and muscle fiber size
AUTHORS:
Yutaka Kano, Kunihiro Sakuma
KEYWORDS:
Skeletal Muscle; Endurance Training; Resistance Training; Capillary Luminal Diameter
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Aging Research,
Vol.2 No.1,
February
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: A quantitative
analysis of capillary supply to skeletal muscle is important for understanding
the upper limit of the capacity for delivery of oxygen and substrates to muscle
cells. It has been well documented that the number of capillaries is altered
by several factors including development, aging, and alteration of muscle
activity level such as exercise training and inactivation. There is, however,
a contradiction in animal studies for aging-related change in the number of
capillaries. Human studies using biopsy technique also displayed an
inconsistency on that point, in which capillary supply was not influenced or
decreased with aging. This review discussed an inconsistency among studies for
aging-related change in muscle capillary supply. In conclusion, the
relationship between capillary supply and muscle fiber size is similar for both
young and elderly population, and the morpho- logical balance between
capillaries and each muscle fiber was maintained with advancing age.