Nutrition and physical activity for the prevention and treatment of age-related sarcopenia

Abstract

Sarcopenia, defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is associated with adverse outcomes such as physical disability, impaired quality of life and increased mortality. Several mechanisms are involved in the development of sarcopenia. Potentially modifiable factors include nutrition and physical activity. Protein metabolism is central to the nutritional issues, along with other potentially modifying nutritional factors as energy balance and vitamin D status. An increasing but still incomplete knowledge base has generated recent recommendations on an increased protein intake in the elderly. Several factors beyond the total amount of protein consumed emerge as potentially important in this context. A recent summit examined three hypotheses: (1) A meal threshold; habitually consuming 25-30 g protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner provides sufficient protein to effectively stimulate muscle protein anabolism; (2) Protein quality; including high-quality protein at each meal improves postprandial muscle protein synthesis; and (3) performing physical activity in close temporal proximity to a high-quality protein meal enhances muscle anabolism. Optimising the potential for muscle protein anabolism by consuming an adequate amount of high-quality protein at each meal, in combination with physical activity, appears as a promising strategy to prevent or delay the onset of sarcopenia. However, results of interventions are inconsistent, and well-designed, standardised studies evaluating exercise or nutrition interventions are needed before guidelines can be developed for the prevention and treatment of age-related sarcopenia.

Effects of multi-domain interventions in (pre)frail elderly on frailty, functional, and cognitive status: a systematic review

“…To be more specific, physical exercise seems to play an essential role in the multi-domain intervention, with some improvements by an additional intervention (eg, nutritional intervention). As suggested in previous reviews, the positive effects of nutritional supplementation increase when associated with physical exercise and the positive effects of physical exercise increase when associated with nutritional supplementation 22,57–59. Also, it could be claimed that the physical exercise component accounts for the greatest improvements, which has also been suggested in reviews discussing frail28 and sarcopenic elderly 22…”

Maslinic acid in olive fruit alleviates mild knee joint pain and improves quality of life by promoting weight loss in the elderly

“…(19,20) We consider that MA is likely to be an effective therapy against sarcopenia or loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. (21) From these discussions, MA in olive fruit extract is a potential food ingredient that can support in the eradication of “locomotive syndrome” defined by the JOA such as osteoarthritis and muscle deterioration.…”

Is It Time to Begin a Public Campaign Concerning Frailty and Pre-frailty? A Review Article

“…Consistent with this type of conceptualisation, age-related sarcopenia must be a key element of frailty but is not synonymous with frailty. By definition, age-related sarcopenia is low muscle mass and low muscle strength or physical performance when no other cause except aging is evident (Cruz-Jentoft et al, 2010; Bosaeus and Rothenberg, 2016). In fact, frailty and sarcopenia overlap one another; a majority of frail older persons present sarcopenia, although not all older people with sarcopenia are frail.…”