Ageing is associated to a progressive decline in muscle mass - a phenomenon known as sarcopenia - which directly affects muscle architecture and force production capacity. The purpose of this study was to review current literature on the effects of aging on muscle architecture, as well as review evidences on the effects of resistance training programs onto morphological properties of skeletal muscles, also discussing clinical implications of functional adaptation among the elderly. Forty-two articles, published between 1993 and 2008, were selected from Pubmed, Science Direct and Scopus databases, by using the key words aging, older adults, elderly, muscle architecture, strength training, and resistance training. The reviewed studies support the idea that there are differences in the architecture of elderly affected by sarcopenia when compared to healthy young adults. Evidences seem to be unanimous as to reduction in skeletal muscle volume, physiological cross sectional area and pennation angle due to aging. Aging also leads to a reduction in fascicular length and muscle width, which determines a reduction in anatomical cross-sectional area. Strength training programs have been used as a therapeutic technique in order to postpone or even revert aging effects on elderly skeletal muscle.
Adaptation, physiological; Ageing; Muscle, skeletal