Beyond the current knowledge on sarcopenia: new insight on neuromuscular factors

In the last decades, one of the fastest growing segments of the human population is comprised of people who are beyond 75 years of age. Unfortunately, not all the elderly are healthy, and among the several age-related dysfunctions that naturally characterize this part of human life, sarcopenia is one of the most devastating. Indeed, understanding the changes in muscle function with advancing age is complicated by the interplay between several factors such as the reduction in muscle mass, altered fiber architecture, and alteration of the skeletal muscle innervation. It is important to note, that several factors interact with the aging process and perhaps exacerbate the age-related sarcopenia, including genetic background, physical activity level, nutritional status, and inflammatory levels.