Table 3.

The percentage area of the elastic fibers and the AOD (average optical density) of COLI and COLIII in the skeletal muscle of the young and elderly male participants (n = 22).

Variable	Y Men (n = 10)	E Men (n = 12)	p-Value
Elastic fiber (% area)	7.99 ± 1.65	3.50 ± 1.66	0.001 ***
AOD of COLI	0.25 ± 0.04	0.37 ± 0.04	0.001 ***
AOD of COLIII	0.33 ± 0.09	0.28 ± 0.07	0.293

Unpaired, two-sample t-test, the values are presented as numbers or means ± SD, at 40× magnification. AOD: average optical density, COLI: collagen type I, COLIII: collagen type III, Y: Young; E: Elderly. *** p ≤ 0.001.