Nutritional Considerations in Preventing Muscle Atrophy

Abstract

Muscle atrophy may occur under different circumstances throughout a person's life. These conditions include periods of immobilization of a limb or of the whole body and aging accompanied by the onset of sarcopenia. Muscle mass is reduced as a result of decreased protein synthesis or increased protein degradation. Most studies aim to prevent the degradation of muscle proteins, but the way in which protein synthesis can be stimulated is often neglected. This study will provide an up-to-date review regarding nutritional considerations and resistance exercise countermeasures in the prevention of muscle mass loss and recovery of muscle mass in muscle atrophy secondary to immobilization or in sarcopenic obesity. We do not address muscle atrophy in disease states associated with inflammation (rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, cancer cachexia, AIDS, burns, sepsis, and uremia) which are governed by particular mechanisms of muscle loss.

Keywords: Muscle disuse; Muscular atrophy; Nutrition; Protein turnover; Sarcopenic obesity.