Muscles - Neuromuscular diseases

Between the ages of 20 to 70, the mucsle mass of the body is reduced by 20%, as well as muscle strength and endurance, so the overall reduction in muscle efficiency is between 20% and, in fact, closer to 40%. The concentration and antioxidant effect of carnosine on this period drops to about half of the native value. The decrease in carnosine content is probably the reason for the age-related decline of muscle mass, strength and endurance. Active, strong, fast muscle fibres contain a large amount of carnosine, meanwhile those that are weak and atrophic contain significantly less carnosine.

The Russian scientist Severin proved in the 1950s that delivering carnosine into fluids with isolated exhausted muscles, caused almost instant recovery of full muscle energy. Australian Dr. MacFarlane's team have recently proved that supplying carnosine increases strength and endurance of exhausted muscles. It is interesting that carnosine supplementation is proportional to the resulting effect on the muscles: the more carnosine delivered, the higher content in the muscles, and the higher the muscle strength and endurance.

The role of carnosine in various nervous muscular diseases was also a subject of the report. The results of the studies recommend carnosine supplementation for these disorders. Of course, the cure of these severe diseases is not expected, but the oxidative stress accompanying the diseases can be reduced whilst muscle contractility, strength and endurance can be increased.

The muscles of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy contain only half the carnosine compared to healthy muscles, so carnosine supplementation is strongly recommended.

Carnosine has a significant role in following neuromuscular diseases:

• ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
• Duchenne muscle dystrophy
• FSH muscular dystrophy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Polymyositis
• Drug-related muscle disorders (e.g. statines)
• Mitochondrial myopathy (late forms)