Sarcopenia: Etiology, Nutritional Approaches, and miRNAs

Abstract

Sarcopenia, an age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function, dramatically affects the quality of life. Although there is a consensus that sarcopenia is a multifactorial syndrome, the etiology and underlying mechanisms are not yet delineated. Moreover, research about nutritional interventions to prevent the development of sarcopenia is mainly focused on the amount and quality of protein intake. The impact of several nutrition strategies that consider timing of food intake, anti-inflammatory nutrients, metabolic control, and the role of mitochondrial function on the progression of sarcopenia is not fully understood. This narrative review summarizes the metabolic background of this phenomenon and proposes an integral nutritional approach (including dietary supplements such as creatine monohydrate) to target potential molecular pathways that may affect reduce or ameliorate the adverse effects of sarcopenia. Lastly, miRNAs, in particular those produced by skeletal muscle (MyomiR), might represent a valid tool to evaluate sarcopenia progression as a potential rapid and early biomarker for diagnosis and characterization.

Keywords: MyomiR; aging; mitochondria; muscle; nutritional supplements; protein.

Figure 1

Sarcopenia and the muscle microRNAs (myomiRs). Representation of the main domains of the sarcopenia etiology, the changes in muscle cross-sectional area of lean and intramuscular adipose tissue, and the potential role of the miRNAs secreted by musculoskeletal tissue (myomiRs). Other several neuro-morphophysiological changes (i.e., dysfunction of peripheral nerves, alterations of the neuromuscular junction, modifications of sarcomeric proteins, reduction in the number of the satellite cells, and loss of mitochondrial content and function, among others) are not shown. Source: created by D.A.B. with BioRender—https://biorender.com/ (accessed on 2 September 2021).