Decrease of muscle volume in chronic kidney disease: the role of mitochondria in skeletal muscle.

Reduced muscle volume and impaired exercise endurance are well-documented phenomena in chronic kidney disease, and the relevant molecular mechanisms have been gradually unveiled. Tamaki et al. demonstrate a reduction of mitochondria content in skeletal muscles as a novel mechanism of reduced exercise endurance in renal insufficiency. In addition, they show that a high-protein diet reduces exercise endurance through an inhibition of muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]