Excitation-contraction uncoupling has been identified as a mechanism underlying skeletal muscle weakness in aging mammals (sarcopenia). The basic mechanism for excitation-contraction uncoupling is a larger number of ryanodine receptors (RyR1) uncoupled to dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) (Delbono, O., O'Rourke, K. S., and Ettinger, W. H. (1995) J. Membr. Biol. 148, 211-222). In the present study, we used transgenic mice overexpressing human insulin-like growth factor-1 exclusively in skeletal muscle to test the hypothesis that a high concentration of IGF-1 prevents age-related decreases in DHPR number and in muscle force. Transgenic mice express 10-20-fold higher IGF-1 concentrations than nontransgenic mice at all ages (1-24 months). The number of DHPRs is 50-100% higher, and the DHPR/RyR1 ratio is 40% higher in transgenic soleus (predominantly type I fiber muscles), extensor digitorum longus (predominantly type II fiber muscles), and the pool of type I and type II fiber muscles than in nontransgenic young (6 months), adult (12 months), and old (24 months) mice. Furthermore, no age-related changes in DHPRs and the DHPR/RyR1 ratio were observed in transgenic muscles. The specific single twitch and tetanic muscle force in old transgenic soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles are 50% higher than in old nontransgenic muscles. Taken together, these results support the concept that IGF-1- dependent prevention of age-related decline in DHPR expression is associated with stronger muscle contraction in older transgenic mice.