Novel Mechanisms Regulating Muscle Mass Maintenance and Growth in the Elderly

The ageing-related decline in muscle mass and function, termed sarcopaenia, is associated with loss of independence and increased incidence of falls and fractures. As society ages, there is an increasing need to understand why elderly muscle deteriorates in order to effectively target exercise and nutritional interventions. This project will use human metabolic studies to investigate how muscle recovers from strenuous physical activity in young and older people, the molecular mechanisms that regulate this response and the interactions with nutrition.