Generality
Sarcopenia is the progressive decline of mass and muscle strength due to the aging of the human body.
An inevitable process, sarcopenia begins around 40-50 years, with a rhythm that from slow in the first 10 years or so becomes urgent from the age of 60.
By determining muscle atrophy and compromising the quality of muscle tissue, sarcopenia is responsible for symptoms such as: a constant sense of weakness, loss of endurance, poor balance, slow gait and difficulty in performing the most normal daily activities (eg climbing stairs).
Diagnosed through physical examination, medical history and symptom reports, sarcopenia is not a curable condition or one that can be stopped; however, with constant exercise and proper nutrition, it is controllable with excellent results.
What is Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is the loss of mass and muscle strength associated with the aging of the human body.
Sarcopenia is an inevitable process, in some ways physiological, as it is inevitable that the human body will age.
Origin of the name
The term "sarcopenia" comes from the ancient Greek. It is, in fact, the fruit of the union of the two words of the ancient Greek language " sarx " ("σάρξ") and " penia " ("πενία") which mean, respectively, "meat" (or "muscle") and "poverty ".
Thus, the literal meaning of sarcopenia is "poverty of flesh" or "poverty of muscle".
Causes
There are various theories as to what causes sarcopenia; here are some of the most important ones:
- Satellite cell theory : satellite cells are small mononuclear cells that rest on muscle fibers and help maintain their function, activating at important times such as exercise or after injury.
Satellite cell theory holds that aging causes sarcopenia, because it reduces the ability of satellite cells to activate.
- Theory of reducing anabolic signals : in humans, muscle growth is related to the presence of growth hormone and testosterone in the body.
According to the theory of reducing anabolic signals, sarcopenia would depend on a reduction in blood levels of growth hormone and testosterone.
- Theory of oxidized proteins : with the aging of the human body, the level of oxidized proteins present in the muscles tends to increase; this entails the formation of increasingly large and without control of lipofuscin aggregates and reticular proteins, which, in quantities beyond the norm, cause the malfunctioning of the muscles.
Based on the theory of oxidized proteins, it seems that sarcopenia depends precisely on the immense accumulation in the muscles of the lipofuscin and the reticular proteins, a typical process, as just stated, of advanced age.
Who suffers most from Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is related to aging, so it affects every human being; however, numerous scientific studies have shown that it has a greater impact (ie is more pronounced) in sedentary subjects and in those who have an inadequate diet for muscle health . In other words, sarcopenia has deeper repercussions if it is combined with a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet.
Did you know that ...
The dietary factors that favor sarcopenia are: the reduced intake of protein, the excessive consumption of foods that cause acidity (eg fried foods ) and the low intake of fruit and vegetables .
When does Sarcopenia begin?
According to the International Foundation of Osteoporosis (IOF), the muscular decline related to sarcopenia would begin at the age of 40-50 years, with a rhythm that from slow, in the first decade, becomes progressively more and more urgent starting from 60-70 years.
In percentage terms, at what rate does Sarcopenia progress?
Sarcopenia progresses at a rate that, every 10 years, results in the loss of 3-8% of muscle mass .
Deepening: Sarcopenia and Environmental Factors at a very young age
Recent epidemiological studies have observed that some environmental factors at a very young age influence the development and maintenance of muscle mass at a later age.
For example, one of these studies showed that low birth weight is associated with greater loss of muscle tone in old age.
Symptoms and Complications
Sarcopenia determines:
- Muscular atrophy, ie the reduction of muscle volume and the total number of muscle fibers, e
- A worsening of the quality of muscle tissue, worsening whose peculiarities are: the replacement of muscle with adipose tissue, the increase in the overall percentage of fibrous tissue, the changes in the metabolism of the muscle cell, the increase of muscle fragility, degeneration of the neuromuscular junction and the greater oxidative stress on the muscle cell.
In symptoms, all these changes correspond to:
- Constant sense of weakness;
- Loss of resistance;
- Poor balance and tendency to fall;
- Slow pace;
- Problems in performing the most normal tasks of daily life (eg climbing stairs).
Sarcopenia: the long-term consequences
Sarcopenia limits a person's independence progressively; in fact, if initially it represents an obstacle only in certain situations or during certain activities, at a distance of several years from its onset it constitutes an obstacle to autonomy in many circumstances, even those that once were very simple.
In people more sensitive to lack of independence, all this can be a source of moments of despondency and low mood .
Sarcopenia causes people to have a sedentary lifestyle; a sedentary lifestyle favors the progression of sarcopenia.
It is through this sort of "vicious circle" that sarcopenia insinuates itself more and more into the lives of the elderly.
Diagnosis
To formulate the diagnosis of sarcopenia, the information coming from: the story of the individual sensations, the physical examination and the anamnesis are sufficient.
It is however necessary to point out that, for a precise diagnosis of sarcopenia, so-called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (or DEXA ) is required, combined with a walking speed test ; from these two surveys, in fact, the doctor draws the data that serve to establish the precise degree of sarcopenia and its progress rate.
What is DEXA
DEXA is a radiographic exam that allows you to determine:
- Bone density. Because of this faculty, it represents a useful test during the diagnosis of osteoporosis, another condition which, like sarcopenia, is typical of the elderly;
- The weight and percentage of lean mass and fat mass in different body areas. It is this faculty that makes it fundamental to discover the degree of sarcopenia;
- The bone mineralization layer in various parts of the body.
The specialist medical parameters for the Diagnosis of Sarcopenia
After several debates that began in 1998, the medical community established that the specialized parameters to be able to talk about sarcopenia are:
- Muscle mass of at least two standard deviations below the mean value for muscle mass found in the young adult population;
- Walking speed (gait indicator) of less than 0.8 meters per second;
- Hand grip strength (indicator of muscle strength) less than 30 kg, in the case of men, and 20 kg, in the case of women.
Therapy
Currently, there is no approved medical treatment that can avoid sarcopenia.
For several decades, however, various pharmacological research is underway aimed at understanding whether the use of hormones, such as testosterone and growth hormone, allows the maintenance of muscle mass and strength, in spite of aging.
Combating Sarcopenia can: Natural Remedies
If it is true that there is no medical cure capable of avoiding sarcopenia, it is also true that there are several natural remedies that can counteract the physiological decline of mass and muscle strength associated with age and prevent the worst consequences.
These natural countermeasures consist in constant physical exercise and in a diet in line with the needs of muscle tissue and the human body in general, in old age.
PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Exercise is a way to use muscles; the use of muscles is essential to maintain or, if the use is intense, improve their mass and their strength.
In the opinion of experts, to counteract sarcopenia, exercise should:
- Understand strength training and resistance training ;
- Perform at least a couple of times a week ;
- Involve all the most important muscle areas, ie legs, arms, chest, shoulders, back and abdomen.
It is important to point out that, before starting any training program, the elderly person should consult his doctor, to understand which physical activities he is suitable for, and rely on an instructor who teaches him the technique and corrects him in the errors.
Did you know that ...
In physical exercise useful for coping with sarcopenia, weights, elastic bands, machinery and the body itself are used.
SUPPLY
Scientific research has shown on more than one occasion that proper nutrition delays the onset of sarcopenia and prevents the worst consequences.
The basis of the ideal diet to combat sarcopenia is the consumption of:
- Foods rich in healthy proteins . This is the most important point; foods rich in healthy proteins include: fish (eg trout or salmon), shellfish, walnuts, lentils, quinoa, beans, tofu, lean parts of poultry and lean cuts of beef;
- From 3 to 5 portions of fruit and vegetables ;
- Foods low in sodium, fat and / or sugar .
Important : in order to best cope with sarcopenia with diet, the International Federation of Osteoporosis recommends that elderly adults consume 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Prognosis
Sarcopenia is inevitable; however, with the constant practice of physical exercise and a proper diet, it is possible to effectively control it and avoid the worst consequences related to its presence.
It is never late to intervene on sarcopenia ; its control, however, requires commitment and perseverance.
