Age-related muscle decline, when associated with obesity, leads to adverse outcomes with increased risks for falling, loss of independence, disability and risk of premature mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the potential beneficial effects of flavonoids in improving the age-/high-fat-diet-induced decrease in physical activity/capacity related to the onset of skeletal muscle decline. The effects of the administration of a cocoa beverage enriched with flavanols or pure (−)-epicatechin for 5 wk in a model of physical activity decline induced by the ingestion of a high-fat diet (60% fat) in middle-age mice were evaluated. The results showed that both products, the cocoa beverage enriched with flavanols and pure (−)-epicatechin, improved physical performance evaluated with the hang-wire, inverted-screen, and weight-lifting tests and dynamometry compared with the performance of the controls. The beverage and (−)-epicatechin increased the follistatin/myostatin ratio and increased the expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A), suggesting an effect on molecular modulators of growth differentiation. Furthermore, the beverage and (−)-epicatechin decreased the expression of O-type fork-head transcription factor (FOXO1A) and muscle ring finger 1 (MURF1) markers of the skeletal muscle ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway.

与年龄相关的肌肉衰退，当与肥胖相关时，会导致不良后果，增加跌倒、丧失独立性、残疾和过早死亡的风险。本研究的目的是评估黄酮类化合物在改善年龄/高脂肪饮食引起的与骨骼肌衰退开始相关的体力活动/能力下降方面的潜在有益作用。服用富含黄烷醇或纯 (-)-表儿茶素的可可饮料持续 5 周在中年小鼠摄入高脂肪饮食（60% 脂肪）诱导的体力活动下降模型中的效果为评估。结果表明，这两种产品，富含黄烷醇和纯 (-)-表儿茶素的可可饮料，通过吊线、倒屏、举重测试和测力法与对照组的表现进行了比较。饮料和 (-)-表儿茶素增加了卵泡抑素/肌生长抑制素比率并增加了肌细胞增强因子 2A (MEF2A) 的表达，表明对生长分化的分子调节剂有影响。此外，饮料和 (-)-表儿茶素降低了骨骼肌泛素-蛋白酶体降解途径的 O 型叉头转录因子 (FOXO1A) 和肌肉无名指 1 (MURF1) 标志物的表达。