Influence of obesity on skeletal muscle contractile dysfunction in aging

Abstract

Obesity and aging reduce skeletal muscle contractile function, which represents a reduction in muscle quality. Dysfunction of muscle contraction may contribute to a greater risk for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer; therefore, the synergistic effects of obesity and aging on muscle function may exacerbate morbidity and mortality. However, evidence directly examining the synergistic effects of obesity and aging on muscle contractile function is lacking and controversial. We recently demonstrated that diet-induced obesity significantly exacerbates contractile dysfunction in aged skeletal muscle. The focus of this review is the effects of obesity on muscle contractile dysfunction in skeletal muscle, particularly during aging.