Main physiological changes in skeletal muscle aging and the multimechanism regulatory role of exercise
- VernacularTitle:骨骼肌衰老主要生理变化及运动的多机制调控作用
- Author:
Chaowen HOU
1
;
Zhaojin LI
;
Jianda KONG
;
Shuli ZHANG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: skeletal muscle aging; exercise regulation; chronic inflammation; mitochondrial function; extracellular matrix fibrosis; lipid mediators; satellite cells
- From: Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1464-1475
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: BACKGROUND:Skeletal muscle aging is associated with various chronic diseases.Exercise is considered an important means to delay this process,but the multimechanism regulation of exercise intervention strategies still requires in-depth exploration.OBJECTIVE:To systematically outline the main physiological changes in skeletal muscle aging and explore the multiple mechanisms by which exercise regulates these changes,thereby providing a theoretical basis for basic research and clinical applications.METHODS:By searching databases such as Web of Science,PubMed,Embase,CNKI,WanFang,and VIP,relevant literature from database inception to October 2024 was retrieved by the first author,including original research articles and reviews.The search terms were"skeletal muscle aging,sarcopenia,exercise regulation,physical activity,chronic inflammation,inflammaging,mitochondrial dysfunction,extracellular matrix fibrosis,lipid mediators,satellite cells"in English and Chinese.Literature was screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria,and the included 95 articles underwent quality assessment and data extraction.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The core manifestations of skeletal muscle aging are the decline in muscle mass,strength,and function,closely related to various physiological changes.The decreased protein synthesis capacity and accelerated degradation rate in muscles lead to muscle atrophy and functional decline.Additionally,dysfunction of satellite cells is considered a key factor in the reduced regenerative capacity of muscles.Mitochondrial dysfunction is another important factor leading to muscle fatigue and energy metabolism disorders,directly affecting the metabolic activity and endurance of skeletal muscles.Chronic inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix fibrosis further exacerbate muscle aging.These factors interact synergistically,collectively resulting in skeletal muscle degeneration.(2)Exercise is widely recognized as an important means to delay skeletal muscle aging.Exercise alleviates chronic low-grade inflammatory responses in skeletal muscle by regulating the immune system,increasing the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors,and inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory factors,thereby mitigating the damage of inflammation to muscles.Exercise also enhances mitochondrial biogenesis and function,improves the muscle's energy metabolism capacity,and consequently increases endurance and strength.Furthermore,exercise regulates lipid metabolism and the synthesis of lipid mediators,reduces fat accumulation and alleviates fat-induced inflammatory responses,thereby further protecting skeletal muscles.The mechanical stimulation from exercise promotes the remodeling of the extracellular matrix,reduces fibrosis occurrence,and improves muscle structure and function.Additionally,exercise activates satellite cells,enhancing the regenerative capacity of skeletal muscles,especially notable with strength training and high-intensity interval training.(3)Future research should include large-scale,multicenter clinical trials to evaluate the comprehensive effects of long-term exercise interventions on skeletal muscle aging.By analyzing data from genomics,metabolomics,and other fields,exploring individual differences in responses to exercise interventions can provide more precise theoretical bases for personalized exercise strategies.Besides exercise,the impacts of other interventions such as nutritional supplementation and pharmacological treatments on skeletal muscle aging should not be overlooked.Future studies can explore the combined use of exercise with these interventions to achieve more significant effects.
