ㆍ　State-of-the-art information on aging and skeletal muscle
　　ㆍ　Contributions from some of the world’s leading experts in skeletal muscle aging
　　ㆍ　Identifies key neuromuscular mechanisms responsible for sarcopenia
　　ㆍ　Identifies signalling pathways and targets for therapeutic intervention
　　ㆍ　Information has relevance and broad application for researchers and practitioners involved with the study and treatment of aging and its effects on skeletal muscle

　Some of the most serious consequences of aging are its effects on skeletal muscle. ‘Sarcopenia’, the progressive age-related loss of muscle mass and associated muscle weakness, renders frail elders susceptible to serious injury from sudden falls and fractures and at risk for losing their functional independence. Not surprisingly, sarcopenia is a significant public health problem throughout the developed world. There is an urgent need to better understand the neuromuscular mechanisms underlying age-related muscle wasting and to develop therapeutic strategies that can attenuate, prevent, or ultimately reverse sarcopenia. Significant research and development in academic and research institutions and in pharmaceutical companies is being directed to sarcopenia and to related health issues in order to develop and evaluate novel therapeutics. This book provides the latest information on sarcopenia from leading international researchers studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying age-related changes in skeletal muscle and identifies strategies to combat sarcopenia and related muscle wasting conditions and neuromuscular disorders. The book provides a vital resource for researchers and practitioners alike, with information relevant to gerontologists, geriatricians, sports medicine physicians, physiologists, neuroscientists, cell biologists, endocrinologists, physical therapists, allied health and musculoskeletal practitioners, strength and conditioning specialists, athletic trainers, and students of the medical and biomedical sciences.

1. Overview of Sarcopenia
2. Muscle Wasting in Cancer and Ageing: Cachexia Versus Sarcopenia
3. Age-Related Remodeling of Neuromuscular Junctions
4. Aging-Related Changes Motor Unit Structure and Function
5. Age-Related Decline in Actomyosin Structure and Function
6. Excitation-Contraction Coupling Regulation in Aging Skeletal Muscle
7. Alterations in Mitochondria and Their Impact in Aging Skeletal Muscle
8. Skeletal Muscle Collagen: Age, Injury and Disease
9. Nuclear Apoptosis and Sarcopenia
10. Age-Related Changes in the Molecular Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Mass
11. Genetic Variation and Skeletal Muscle Traits: Implications for Sarcopenia
12. Proteomic and Biochemical Profiling of Aged Skeletal Muscle
13. Exercise and Nutritional Interventions to Combat Age-Related Muscle Loss
14. Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Skeletal Muscle Wasting – Implications for Sarcopenia
15. Exercise as a Countermeasure for Sarcopenia
16. Role of Contraction-Induced Injury in Age-Related Muscle Wasting and Weakness
17. Role of IGF-1 in Age-Related Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function
18. Role of Myostatin in Skeletal Muscle Growth and Development: Implications for Sarcopenia
19. Role of β-Adrenergic Signalling in Skeletal Muscle Wasting: Implications for Sarcopenia