Muscle fiber number in the biceps brachii muscle of young and old men
Cliff S. Klein PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorGreg D. Marsh PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Division of Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorRobert J. Petrella MD, PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Charles L. Rice PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorCliff S. Klein PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorGreg D. Marsh PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Division of Imaging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorRobert J. Petrella MD, PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Charles L. Rice PhD
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, Canada
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Lawson Health Research Institute, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Health Center Annex, University of Western Ontario, 1490 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 2M3, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorAbstract
We have compared the number of muscle fibers in the biceps brachii muscle (BB) of six old men (82.3 ± 4.3 years) and six young men (21.2 ± 1.9 years). Muscle fiber number was estimated by dividing the maximal area of the BB, determined with magnetic resonance imaging, by the mean fiber area of the BB determined in a muscle biopsy. The percentage of type II fibers in the BB (∼60%) and the type I fiber area were not different between the groups. The BB area (−26%), type II fiber area (−24%), mean fiber area (−20%), and maximal voluntary contraction strength (MVC) of the elbow flexor muscles (−27%) were lower in the old than young group. However, the estimated number of muscle fibers was not significantly different between the young (253,000) and old (234,000) men. Consequently, the smaller BB area of the old men could be explained primarily by a smaller type II fiber size. These findings suggest that old age is not associated with a reduced number of muscle fibers in the BB. The relative contribution of a reduction in fiber number to age-related muscle atrophy may be muscle-dependent. Muscle Nerve 28: 62–68, 2003
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