Muscles’ own protective systems could help reduce frailty

New research could explain why people experience muscle loss in old age, increasing the prospects of reversing the condition in the future. As people grow older, their leg muscles become progressively smaller and weaker, leading to frailty and disability. While this process inevitably affects everyone living long enough, until now the process has not been understood. This new research, published in The Journal of Physiology, suggests that muscle wasting follows on from changes in the nervous system. By the age of 75, individuals typically have around 30-50% fewer nerves controlling their legs. This leaves parts of their muscles disconnected from