Sarcopenia in older adults is associated with a higher risk of falls, disability, loss of independence, and mortality. Current physical activity (PA) guidelines recommend engagement in muscle-strengthening activities (MSA) in addition to aerobic moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, little is known about the impact of MSA in addition to adherence to the MVPA recommendation in the guidelines. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to determine whether or not engagement in MSA is linked to sarcopenia risk in older adults who meet the PA guidelines of 150 min of MVPA per week. A total of 193 community-dwelling older men and women (65–70 years) were included in the study. A continuous sex-specific clustered sarcopenia risk score (SRS) was created based on muscle mass assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis, handgrip strength, and five times sit-to-stand (5STS) time, assessed using standardized procedures. Adherence to PA guidelines was assessed using the Actigraph GT3x accelerometer and the EPAQ2 questionnaire. Guideline adherence to MSA twice a week was related to a significantly (p < 0.05) lower SRS compared to those who did not. This finding was evident after adjustment for adherence to the protein intake guideline and abdominal obesity. Similar impacts were observed for muscle mass and 5-STS but not for handgrip strength. In conclusion, guideline adherence to MSA is related to lower sarcopenia risk in older adults who already accumulate 150 weekly minutes of MVPA, which reinforces the promotion of the MSA guideline, alongside the MVPA guideline, to fight against sarcopenia progression in ageing populations.

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The role of daily time spent sedentary and in different intensities of physical activity (PA) for the maintenance of muscle health currently remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the impact of reallocating time spent in different PA intensities on sarcopenia risk in older adults, while considering PA type (muscle strengthening activities, MSA) and protein intake. In a sample of 235 community-dwelling older adults (65–70 years), a sarcopenia risk score (SRS) was created based on muscle mass assessed by bioimpedance, together with handgrip strength and performance on the five times sit-to-stand (5-STS) test assessed by standardized procedures. Time spent in light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and being sedentary was assessed by accelerometry, and PA type (MSA) by self-report. Linear regression models based on isotemporal substitution were employed. Reallocating sedentary time to at least LPA was significantly (p < 0.05) related to a lower SRS, which remained evident after adjustment by PA type (MSA) and protein intake. Similarly, reallocating time in LPA by MVPA was related to a significantly (p < 0.05) lower SRS. Our results emphasize the importance of displacing sedentary behaviours for more active pursuits, where PA of even light intensities may alleviate age-related deteriorations of muscle health in older adults.

Introduction: Healthy dietary patterns and physical activity (PA) represent important lifestyle behaviors with considerable potential to influence on age-related metabolic health. Yet, data on the combined effects of these lifestyle behaviors on metabolic health including low-grade systemic inflammation in aging populations remain scarce. Therefore, this protocol describes a randomized controlled trial aiming to examine the impacts of healthy dietary patterns alone or combined with PA on metabolic health in middleaged and older men and women.Material and Methods: The ORUDIET study is a 3-arm randomized controlled 16-week trial: Healthy Diet (HD), Healthy diet plus PA (HD-PA), and control (CON). The trial is open label, randomized with allocation concealment, parallel groups with passive controls. Participants without overt disease aged between 55 and 70 years, with BMI below 35, a current intake of a maximum of 1 serving of fruit and vegetable per day, and noncompliance to PA guidelines are eligible for inclusion. Participants in HD are instructed to increase fruit and vegetable intake to 5 servings per day (equivalent to 500 g). Participants in HD-PA receive the same dietary intervention as the HD and are additionally instructed to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activities for at least 150 minutes per week. The primary study outcomes are changes in metabolic and inflammatory health biomarkers. Secondary outcomes are changes in body composition and perceived health.Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the ethical review board in Uppsala, Sweden. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated in national and international conferences. Trial registration number: NCT04062682 Pre-results Abbreviations: BMI = Body mass index, CON = control group, CRP = C-reactive protein, HD = Healthy diet group, HDL-cholesterol = high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HD-PA = Healthy diet plus physical activity group, IL = Interleukin, MCP-1 = Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, MetS = Metabolic syndrome, MIP-1a = Macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha, MVPA = Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, PA = Physical activity, RCT = Randomized controlled trial, TNF-a = Tumor necrosis factoralpha.