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LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
Centre for In Vivo Body Composition
Gastrointestinal Investigation Unit (11E)
Royal North Shore Hospital
St Leonards, NSW 2065
Australia
E-mail: hansenr{at}med.usyd.edu.au
Dear Sir:
The recent article by Szulc et al (1) identified several lifestyle and hormonal factors as potential determinants of sarcopenia in a large sample of men aged 45–85 y. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass, corrected for body size, displayed a notable age-related decline after the age of 60 y, and routine physical activity both at work and during leisure time were shown to positively affect arm and leg muscle masses, independently of age. Importantly, this investigation indicated that relatively nonstructured, low-to-moderate intensity activities—including bicycling, walking, gardening, and housework—can help to maintain muscle mass in elderly men.
It is interesting to note that we came to a similar conclusion (2) in regard to healthy white postmenopausal women of a comparable age range (54–76 y). A curvilinear relation between muscle mass and age was found, with an accelerated decline after 60–65 y. Those women who routinely engaged in work, household, or leisure activity with a combined energy expenditure of >5 MJ per fortnight had markedly better muscle mass indexes than did their less active counterparts; this effect was evident throughout the age range studied. Moreover, as noted by Szulc et al from self-reported data in their male cohort (1), interviews with these women showed the most common leisure-time activities undertaken (walking, dancing, floor exercises, gardening, swimming, and tennis) to be relatively nonstructured and moderate in intensity (2).
Although it must be acknowledged that some training and observational studies have failed to confirm a positive effect of these predominantly aerobic types of activity on muscle mass (3, 4), accumulating evidence supports a role for these popular activities in the maintenance of muscle and the provision of other metabolic benefits, including a reduction of abdominal fat, in both men and women (5). Such activities, therefore, may be useful in preventing sarcopenic obesity, which has been shown to be significantly associated with decreased functional status and increased disability and falls in the elderly (6). The follow-up reports of cohorts such as the MINOS Study subjects should be invaluable in further quantifying these important, practical aspects of the complex relation between physical activity and sarcopenia.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There were no conflicts of interest.
REFERENCES
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