The prevalence of sarcopenia depends on the definition used. There are, however, consistent sarcopenic characteristics, including a low muscle mass and muscle strength. Few studies have investigated the relationship between sarcopenia and genotype. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 307 community-dwelling ≥60-year-old women in South Cheshire, UK. Handgrip strength was assessed with a handgrip dynamometer and skeletal muscle mass was estimated using bioelectrical impedance. DNA was extracted from saliva (∼38%) or blood (∼62%) and 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped. Three established sarcopenia definitions -%Skeletal Muscle Mass (%SMM), Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) and European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) -were used to assess sarcopenia prevalence. Binary logistic regression with age as covariate was used to identify SNPs associated with sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was: %SMM 14.7%, SMI 60.6% and EWGSOP 1.3%. Four SNPs were associated with the %SMM and SMI definitions of sarcopenia; FTO rs9939609, ESR1 rs4870044, NOS3 rs1799983 and TRHR rs7832552. The first three were associated with the %SMM definition, and TRHR rs7832552 with the SMI definition, but none were common to both sarcopenia definitions. The gene variants associated with sarcopenia may help proper counselling and interventions to prevent individuals from developing sarcopenia.Sarcopenia is defined as an ageing-related loss of both muscle mass and strength below a threshold level 1 . It is an important predictor of adverse outcomes such as limited mobility, increased risk of falls, decreased quality of life (QoL), hospitalization and mortality, and contributes to tens of millions of pounds of health care costs in the UK 1-3 . Although muscle weakness and skeletal muscle atrophy are overt characteristics of this geriatric syndrome, there is ongoing debate on the operational definition, screening and diagnosis, and optimal management and treatment of the condition 1,4-6 . The considerable heterogeneity in the reported prevalence of sarcopenia is largely attributable to the different definitions or cut-offs used 7-9 .The fact that some elderly do not show sarcopenia, whilst others of the same age do 10,11 , suggests that some individuals are more susceptible to sarcopenia than others. The different susceptibility is likely due to a combination of factors including physical activity, diet, sedentary behaviour and genetics [12][13][14][15] . Several studies have reported an association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with lean mass, muscle volume and muscle strength [16][17][18] . It is thus possible that individuals carrying favourable gene variants are less susceptible to sarcopenia and hence can maintain independence until later life. To date, five studies have investigated the association of SNPs with sarcopenia; limited to VDR, IL6, ACTN3 and MSTN polymorphisms [19][20][21][22][23] . The studies identified an association of ACTN3 and VDR gene variants with sarcopenia, but di...