Scientists find compound that may help muscles stay strong as we age

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Add as preferred source The compound strengthens HGF, a protein that helps activate muscle repair, offering hope for future treatments of age-related muscle loss in humans and pets. Credit: Kyushu University Skeletal muscle is one of the first tissues to decline with age. This decline can lead to weakness, scarring, fat accumulation inside muscle and the loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers that are important for quick, powerful movements.

A research team led by professor Ryuichi Tatsumi at Kyushu University's Faculty of Agriculture has identified a molecule that may help protect and even strengthen one of the body's key muscle-repair signals. The findings were published in Scientific Reports .