A team from Columbia University in New York has begun to unravel the inner workings of aging; how the loss of muscle functions contributes to death, and how it can possibly be prevented.

A study in the magazine New Scientist said the weakening and loss of muscles is one of the biggest killers not known to most people.

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While people originally think muscle loss is a result of disease and frailty, it's actually a prime cause of this problem. Muscle loss also has serious effects on one's metabolism.

Researchers stress it isn't about bodybuilding, but about keeping the muscles in limbs at a healthy level.

The mechanisms behind muscle ageing are not quite understood yet. Research suggests it has something to do with free radicals, or molecules with unpaired electrons responsible for the deterioration of most anything.

Mice have been modified to produce fewer free radicals in their bodies, and have been known to live longer because of it.

Researchers sought to find why the lower amount of free radicals affects muscle loss. They found that calcium has an important part in the degradation of muscles. The release of calcium causes muscles to contract.

Ryanodine receptor 1 (the molecule responsible for this) is also affected by free radicals. As the mice age, calcium begins to leak out when it isn't supposed to, weakening the muscles in the process.

The modified mice experienced fewer free radical damage and had stronger muscles. In their old age, the mice chose to run on their exercise wheels about a kilometer more than their unmodified brethren.

While there are a handful of drugs and medications that can prevent muscle breakdown and promote muscle growth, exercise remains the best guarantor of strong muscles.

"One of the best anti-ageing pills is to stay active," says Daniel Moore of the University of Toronto, Canada.

TagsAndrew Marks, Columbia University, NewScientist, New Scientist, Ageing, Muscles, exercise, Ryanodine receptor 1, Free Radicals