Age related muscle loss – What it is and how to slow it down
Talk by Alister Monteyne – Lecturer in Nutritional Physiology, Nutritional Physiology Research Group, University of Exeter.
The UK population is ageing, both in terms of the absolute number and the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and older. Ageing is associated with a gradual loss of muscle mass, which impairs physical function and metabolic health. Left unaddressed, these changes negatively impact quality of life, overall health, and, ultimately, lifespan. Effectively intervening to slow muscle mass loss is a pressing concern for both society and researchers alike.
One of the key physiological contributors to this decline in muscle mass is a reduced sensitivity to dietary protein: as we age, the body’s ability to build muscle in response to protein intake and exercise becomes blunted. This diminished muscle protein synthetic response is central to age-related muscle loss and has become a major focus of intervention strategies.
This presentation will review current evidence on nutritional approaches aimed at supporting muscle health in older adults, with a particular emphasis on the quality and source of dietary protein. However, nutrition alone is not enough, and exercise remains the most potent stimulus for maintaining muscle mass. To this end, we will explore how combining targeted nutrition and exercise can mitigate declines in muscle mass and support healthy ageing.
Dr Monteyne graduated from Loughborough University in Sport & Exercise Science in 2015, before completing an MSc in Sport & Exercise Nutrition at the same institution. Following this, Alistair took a PhD position in the Nutritional Physiology Research Group (NPG) at the University of Exeter, under the supervision of Professor Benjamin Wall and Professor Francis Stephens. Alistair was awarded his PhD in 2021, before undertaking post-doctoral training within the NPG and subsequently joining the Department of Public Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Exeter, as a Lecturer in Nutritional Physiology.
Dr. Monteyne is an internationally published scientist committed to exploring the interplay between exercise, nutrition, and skeletal muscle physiology. His research involves conducting nutritional and exercise interventions in human volunteers, combined with detailed and invasive in vivo measurements of human physiology. His doctoral research demonstrated the viability of mycoprotein, a fungal-derived protein, to support skeletal muscle remodelling and hypertrophy. Subsequently, Dr. Monteyne has expanded his research focus to investigate how exogenous ketosis modulates skeletal muscle metabolism and protein turnover, and how energy restriction in the context of obesity impacts muscle protein metabolism.