Muscle Loss in Elderly Not From Aging

Does growing old cause muscle mass to shrink and deteriorate? New research suggests that inactivity among the elderly inflicts far greater damage on muscle strength than the aging process itself, potentially revising a long-help understanding of how the body grows old. A study released in October in the Journal of Sports Medicine found that elderly athletes had similar muscle structure as athletes in their 40s. Non-athletes, however, showed both dramatic muscle loss and deterioration of remaining muscle tissue as they aged.

Read more at The New York Times