What is Sarcopenia?

 

Derived from the Greek root words sarx (flesh) and penia (loss), sarcopenia is defined as a decline in muscle mass, strength and function. It is often associated with older adults, but some forms of sarcopenia can also affect middle-aged people.

Everyone loses muscle with age, typically about 3%-5% each decade after age 30. Inactive people lose the most. The loss can become more noticeable and start to speed up at around age 60.

When you lose so much muscle and strength that you have trouble getting through daily routines, you may be diagnosed with sarcopenia. After age 80, studies suggest somewhere between 11% and 50% of people have sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia can be a serious problem. Once you have lost a lot of muscle and strength, you may struggle to do things such as getting out of chairs, opening jars or carrying groceries. You also can become frail and have a higher risk of falls, broken bones, disability and death.

Here are some of the things happening in our bodies as we age that might contribute to sarcopenia: 

• Reduction in nerve cells responsible for sending signals from the brain to the muscles to start movement;
• Lower concentrations of some hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor;
• A decrease in the ability to turn protein into energy;
• Increases in inflammation, partly due to disease.

Sarcopenia Risk Factors

Age

Sarcopenia is rare before age 60, though the process of losing muscle begins decades before that. In addition to the biological changes that are part of the aging process, older adults are likely to have additional risk factors, such as inactivity, a poor diet and chronic disease, which contribute to loss of muscle and strength.

Sedentary lifestyle

Studies suggest that staying active as you age can cut your risk of sarcopenia significantly. The more time you spend sitting or lying down during the day, the more muscle mass and strength you are likely to lose. Spending a lot of time inactive may contribute to lost muscle and strength even if you exercise during other parts of the day.

Diet

A poor-quality diet appears to contribute to sarcopenia. Some studies show a link between eating too little protein and developing sarcopenia. Other dietary habits, including diets low in fruits and vegetables, may also play a role. 

Diets with a lot of ultra-processed foods — manufactured products with high levels of sugar, salt, additives, and unhealthy fats — also have been linked to low muscle mass.

In general, older adults who are malnourished, because they eat too little or eat a diet that does not provide adequate nutrients for their needs, are at higher risk for sarcopenia and decline more rapidly when they have it. 

Obesity

Some of the same factors that raise the risk for sarcopenia, such as inactivity and a poor diet, can lead to obesity. When you have both conditions, doctors call it sarcopenic obesity. Obesity appears to worsen sarcopenia. High levels of body fat increase inflammation and change how your body responds to a hormone called insulin, both of which can speed up muscle loss. Obesity can also make it harder to stay active, leading to a cycle of muscle loss and fat accumulation.

Chronic illness

Having a chronic disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, or HIV increases the risk of sarcopenia.

While sarcopenia can have serious consequences and you cannot prevent all the losses of muscle and strength that come with age, you can regain some of your strength with exercise and a good diet.

Sarcopenia Treatment

The primary treatments for sarcopenia are lifestyle changes, especially increases in physical activity:

An active lifestyle that includes strength training

Strength training, which is also called resistance training, can help you regain strength and mobility. You should do a combination of exercises that work your arms, legs, abdominal muscles, back and chest.

As you work on strength, it is also a good idea to include aerobic exercise, such as walking, to build your endurance and improve overall health, and balance exercises, to reduce your risk of falling.

Sarcopenia diet

A high-quality diet with plenty of protein, including protein from plant foods such as beans and nuts

You are likely to get the best results when you combine a protein-rich diet with strength training.