ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2018
The Contributions of Fiber Atrophy, Fiber Loss, In Situ Specific Force, and Voluntary Activation to Weakness in Sarcopenia.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sex differences in human skeletal muscle fiber types and the influence of age, physical activity, and muscle group: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Physiological reports · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Sarcopenia Parameters in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrition reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Specific tension of human muscle in vivo: a systematic review.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2024Pooled it
- The Association of ApoE ε4 Status with Lower Limb Function and Handgrip Strength in Older Adults.The Journal of frailty & aging · 2019Trial
- Bilateral Muscle Architecture Differences in a Rabbit Model of Unilateral Hindlimb Transtibial Amputation: A Pilot Study.Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- MR Imaging-Based Biomarkers for Strength Prediction: A Statistical Shape and Architecture Modeling of Quadriceps Muscles.Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · 2026Article
- Comparing DXA and MRI body composition measurements in cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Benchmarking Neural Network Personalized Musculoskeletal Hand Models Against Current Personalization Standards Using Experimental Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Fine-Wire Electromyography.IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · 2026Article
- Evaluating muscle aging during relaxed standing, squats and lunges through electrical bioimpedance.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Improved Strength Prediction Combining MRI Biomarkers of Muscle Quantity and Quality.NMR in biomedicine · 2025Article
- The role of physical activity in mitigating age-related changes in the neuromuscular control of gait.npj aging · 2025Article
- Blood Flow Restriction Training: A Tool to Enhance Rehabilitation and Build Athlete Resiliency.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Muscle fibroblasts and stem cells stimulate motor neurons in an age and exercise-dependent manner.Aging cell · 2025Article
- Effects of Aging on Orbicularis Oculi Muscle Strength and Ultrastructure in Dermatochalasis: A Pilot Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Greater myofibrillar protein synthesis following weight-bearing activity in obese old compared with non-obese old and young individuals.GeroScience · 2024Article
- Surrogate Simulation of Subject-Specific Lateral Pinch via Deep Learning.Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference · 2024Article
- Sensitivity Analysis of Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Models During Isometric and Isokinetic Tasks.Journal of biomechanical engineering · 2024Article
- Predictions of thumb, hand, and arm muscle parameters derived using force measurements of varying complexity and neural networks.Journal of biomechanics · 2023Article
- Pathogenesis, Intervention, and Current Status of Drug Development for Sarcopenia: A Review.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Decrements of mobility and power in recreationally active septuagenarians is related to loss of force, but not slowing of the muscle: a 5-year longitudinal study.European journal of applied physiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The contributions of fiber atrophy, fiber loss, in situ specific force, and voluntary activation to weakness in sarcopenia remain unclear. To investigate, 40 older (20 women; age 72 ± 4 years) and 31 younger adults (15 women, age 22 ± 3 years) completed measurements. The knee extensor maximal voluntary torque (MVC) was measured as well as voluntary activation, patella tendon moment arm length, muscle volume, and fascicle architecture to estimate in situ specific force. Fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA), fiber numbers, and connective tissue contents were also estimated from vastus lateralis biopsies. The MVC, quadriceps volume, and specific force were 39%, 28%, and 17% lower, respectively, in old compared with young, but voluntary activation was not different. The difference in muscle size was due in almost equal proportions to lower type II FCSA and fewer fibers. Five years later (n = 23) the MVC, muscle volume and voluntary activation in old decreased an additional 12%, 6%, and 4%, respectively, but there was no further change in specific force. In situ specific force declines relatively early in older age and reduced voluntary activation occurs later, but the overall weakness in sarcopenia is mainly related to loss of both type I and II fibers and type II fiber atrophy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.