Exercise, nutrition, and aging.

Advancing adult age is associated with profound changes in body composition. Age-related loss in skeletal muscle has been referred to as sarcopenia and is a direct cause of the age-related decreased in muscle strength. Resistance training is an effective means of preserving or increasing skeletal muscle mass and functional status in the elderly. In addition, resistance training has been demonstrated to increase energy requirements, protein retention, bone mass, and levels of physical activity in healthy elders as well as the very old and frail.