Many people believe that getting older naturally leads to weaker muscles. We often think that this is just a normal part of aging.
But new research from Ohio University is challenging that idea. Instead of blaming muscle loss on aging alone, scientists now think the brain and nerves may play a much bigger role than we thought.
The study was led by Brian Clark and involved 66 older adults, all in their 70s. The researchers focused on the muscles used to straighten the leg. Participants were asked to push against resistance using those leg muscles as hard as they could. This helped measure their muscle strength.
After this first test, the researchers did something interesting. They applied small electrical signals directly to the muscles. If the muscle got stronger after this stimulation, it showed that the muscle itself was still capable—it was the brain and nerves that had not sent strong enough signals during the first test.
The results were eye-opening. People who were the weakest at first showed the biggest improvements when their muscles were stimulated. In fact, their strength improved by 14.2%—which was twice as much as the people who were already stronger.
This means the problem may not be the muscle wearing out with age. Instead, it could be that the brain and nerves are just not communicating well with the muscles anymore.
This discovery changes the way we think about muscle weakness in older adults. While regular physical exercise is still important, this research shows that we also need to take care of the nervous system. This includes the brain and the nerves that help send messages to the muscles.
Some types of exercises, like those that improve balance, may be especially helpful. These activities train both the muscles and the nervous system to work better together.
In the future, treatments could include nerve stimulation to help older adults stay strong and independent for longer. New exercise programs and medical tools may be developed to improve how the brain and nerves work with the muscles.
Right now, staying active is still the best way to keep your strength. But thanks to research like Brian Clark’s, which was published in JAMA Network Open, we may soon have better ways to help older people stay strong.
This research gives us a new way to understand aging. It helps explain why some people lose strength even if their muscles are still healthy. By focusing on the nervous system, scientists may be able to help many older adults enjoy a better quality of life.
If you care about pain management, please read studies about Scientists find a new drug for chronic nerve pain and findings of Scientists find a new, less-invasive way to tackle knee pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies about Scientists find a new way to manage knee pain and findings of Promising new drug offers hope for chronic nerve pain relief.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
