Document Type : Review Article
Authors
1
Department of Physical Education, Farhangin University, Tehran, Iran
2
Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Spoert Sciences, Bu Ali Sina University,, Hamedan, Iran
10.22038/jpsr.2026.88515.2708
Abstract
Purpose:
Sarcopenia is a regulatory process that naturally begins in muscles in accordance with aging. The present review aims to investigate the cellular and molecular pathways that affect sarcopenia and its relationship with cardiac disorders.
Methods:
To identify the most relevant studies on present topic, we used PubMed/MEDLINE، Scopus, and Web of Science search engines. According to the MeSH terms, the utilized keywords were sarcopnea, physical activity, exercise training, strength training, endurance training, aerobic training, sport, elderly, old ages, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac function and cardiovascular disease.
Results:
Skeletal muscle is able to release neurochemical factors called myokines in order to communicate with other tissues through certain chemical or mechanical processes. These mediators can establish a molecular interaction between muscle function and physiological processes in human body. The most important myokines related to cardiac function include apelin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, irisin, interleukin-6, follistatin, and myostatin. On the other hand, previous studies reported the inevitable role of cardiovascular disorders in accelerating the process of sarcopenia. Loss of muscle mass in people with heart disease leads to an increased risk of mortality. Sedentary lifestyle leads to inflammation and increasing adipose tissue in skeletal muscles, reduces muscle strength and leads to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia and depression. Also, consequences such as tissue protein degradation, atrophy, altered fatty acid oxidation, and increased dependence on carbohydrate use for energy production in the body due to sarcopenia lead to cardiomyopathy and other cardiovascular complications.
Conclusion:
Physical activity, especially strength and interval training, can increase muscle mass, muscle strength, and individual performance. In healthy elders, improvements in muscle strength can be increased even with one session of resistance (strength) training per week, and may decellerate the progression of muscle atrophy and cardiac disorders in elders.
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