WASHINGTON : Cutting down on calorie intake could help fix muscle mass loss later in life, according to a Florida University study based on mice.The researchers have discovered that a restricted calorie diet, started in early adulthood, seems to forestall a mitochondrial mishap that may contribute to muscle loss in aging adults, reports eurekalert.org.

In rats, scientists found pockets of excess iron in muscle cell mitochondria, the tiny power plants found in every cell. Excess iron affects the chemistry of these power plants, sparking formation of harmful free radicals that can lead a mitochondria straight to the emergency exit, said Christiaan Leeu wenburgh, Florida University professor and co-author of the study.

The suicidal mitochondria can damage the rest of the muscle cell, leading to cell death and perhaps to muscle wasting, a big problem for adults as they reach their mid-seventies, Leeuwenburgh added.