Strategies for reducing oxidative damage in ageing skeletal muscle

It is recognised that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are both key regulators of cellular signalling and initiators of oxidative damage to DNA, lipids and proteins under different circumstances. Thus in skeletal muscle from animals and humans, studies indicate that ROS can potentially contribute to the pathophysiology of the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, while additionally acting as a key signal for contraction-induced adaptations in the tissue. The specific nature and sources of generation of the ROS contributing to these actions remain unknown, but the combination of physiological and pathological roles of ROS imply that interventions based on a simple suppression of ROS activities through use on non-specific antioxidants are unlikely to retard or improve the age-related declines in muscle mass and function. This review will briefly describe the background to this area and describe alternative strategies aimed at correcting specific redox-related changes in ageing muscle, such as the decline in oxidative signalling pathways, that may indicate rational interventions to help maintain muscle mass and function in the elderly.