What Is Sarcopenia? Part 2: Why Lean Muscle Is So Important for Good Health

With some 650 muscles holding your body together and helping you to move, it's easy to understand why we need healthy, working muscles.

As we age, losing muscle mass and strength increases our risk of injury and can affect our ability to live independently.  Lacking muscle mass and strength makes you more likely to injure yourself while performing household tasks, like carrying a grocery bag or changing a light bulb.

A senior lacking strength in the quadriceps thigh muscle, for instance, may lose their balance and fall from a step stool or on the stairs.  This may result in a hip fracture, one of the most common reasons older people lose the ability to live independently and require nursing home care.

Sarcopenia is also closely associated with osteoporosis.  While researchers are still unclear as to exactly how the two conditions are related, they do know that sarcopenia typically precedes osteoporosis.  One theory is that similar hormonal changes and nutritional deficits underlie both conditions.  Another theory is that as we lose muscle, bones are no longer required to bear as much weight during normal activity, and so they begin to weaken as well.

Whatever the reason, we know that sarcopenia is a risk factor for injury and loss of independence.

Interestingly, scientists have discovered that the quality and quantity of an individual's lean muscle mass influences more than just the obvious.

In addition to physical mobility and independence, muscle plays a role in:

Metabolism

Immune health

Chronic diseases such as diabetes

Survival rates for critical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and cancer

Ability to recover from injury and surgery

Glutathione, for example, is an amino acid stored in muscle and is important for tissue repair and immune function.  Victims of second and third degree burns are given glutathione to replace any they may have lost from their injuries, and because it speeds the healing process.

In injury recovery, the body also utilizes the nitric oxide provided by muscle.  Insufficient nitric oxide can impede the healing response and even create further damage.

There are so many reasons to safeguard your lean muscle mass as you age, even if you are not trying to "bulk up."

In the next installments on sarcopenia we will look more closely at how muscle mass is lost, who is at risk, and what you can do.

Comments

[Madison]

I have a friend whose grandpa was home alone one day. He has an oxygen tank with tubes attached to his nose. He fell off his chair and was on the floor for about 7 hours without the oxygen tank until my friend came home and saw him. She called 911, and he was rushed to the hospital. He had to live in a nursing home after that.

[Beverly Aldridge]

Excellent article and certainly a Timely one!

Who, afte all, had ever heard of "Sarcopenia" before about two months ago? Not I, and I have a full-blown case of it!

I cannot wait to read your next article about what to do about it!
I have started drinking two-a-day Whey Protein Milkshakes, taking additional Vitamin D, exercising (which I have always done anyway).....muscle tone and strength in my thighs is gone, totally.
My own diagnosis was taking Zetia for 20 months. But after stopping it, things did not improve.

It is good to know that people are going to become aware that Sarcopenia exists thru articles like yours..and how serious it is.

Thanks.
Regards.
Beverly Aldridge
beverly@beverlyaldridge.com

[Dr. Mark Anderson]

Hi Beverly,

Very glad to hear from you and sorry you are struggling with this. It does seem like there has been a gradual increase of information on sarcopenia, but many people are still unaware.

Sounds like you are taking an active role in educating yourself, which is so important.

You can check back in the next week or so for my next post on sarcopenia. In the meantime, keep up your proactive outlook!