Cross-sectional associations of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time with sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in older men

Abstract

This study investigated associations between objectively measured physical activity (PA) with sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in older British men. Participants were men aged 70–92 years (n = 1286) recruited from UK Primary Care Centres. Outcomes included (i) sarcopenia, defined as low muscle mass (lowest two fifths of the mid-upper arm muscle circumference distribution) accompanied by low muscular strength (hand grip strength < 30 kg) or low physical performance (gait speed ≤ 0.8 m/s); (ii) severe sarcopenia, required all three conditions; (iii) sarcopenic obesity defined as sarcopenia or severe sarcopenia and a waist circumference of > 102 cm. Independent variables included time spent in PA intensities measured by GT3x accelerometers, worn during one week in 2010–12. Multinomial regression models were used for cross-sectional analyses relating PA and sarcopenia. In total, 14.2% (n = 183) of men had sarcopenia and a further 5.4% (n = 70) had severe sarcopenia. 25.3% of sarcopenic or severely sarcopenic men were obese. Each extra 30 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was associated with a reduced risk of severe sarcopenia (relative risk [RR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30, 0.93) and sarcopenic obesity (RR 0.47 [95% CI 0.27, 0.84]). Light PA (LPA) and sedentary breaks were marginally associated with a reduced risk of sarcopenic obesity. Sedentary time was marginally associated with an increased risk of sarcopenic obesity independent of MVPA (RR 1.18 [95% CI 0.99, 1.40]). MVPA may reduce the risk of severe sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity among older men. Reducing sedentary time and increasing LPA and sedentary breaks may also protect against sarcopenic obesity.

Associations Between Objectively Measured Physical Activity, Body Composition and Sarcopenia: Findings from the Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study (HSS)

“…Physical activity (PA) is defined as bodily movement produced by the bone/muscle unit that results in energy expenditure [3]. Engagement in regular PA such as walking, cycling, work-related activity, sports, gym work, dancing or gardening has been associated with a reduction in the risk of development, or progression, of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, type II diabetes, cognitive decline, obesity, falls and fractures [4–6]. Other benefits of regular physical activity include a greater sense of well-being and self-esteem [7].…”

“…Objective measurement of physical activity with accelerometers has gained acceptance as a preferred method for the collection of data on the duration, frequency and intensity of activity [10] and is acceptable for large scale epidemiological studies in older people [4, 11]. Several studies have explored the associations between objectively measured PA and measures of body composition and function [12–16].…”

“…For example, higher physical activity and low sedentary activity were associated with lower body mass index (BMI) in a cross-sectional analysis of the LIFE study [12]. Aggio et al showed that in a cohort of 1286 older men aged 70–92, higher levels of MVPA were associated with reduced risk of sarcopenia as defined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) but where low muscle mass was defined by lower mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) [4]. In a study of 636 community-dwelling older men and women 59–73 years, Foong et al showed that higher intensities of PA were associated with higher lean mass and stronger lower limb strength [11].…”

Obesidad sarcopénica y disfuncionalidad en población con síndrome metabólico

“…Los primeros estudios daban gran importancia a la masa muscular esquelética o appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10); sin embargo, los últimos estudios, incorporan a la definición de sarcopenia la calidad del musculo o la fuerza muscular, como nuevos parámetros a considerar para determinar la sarcopenia (11)(12)(13)(14).…”

“…La población anciana tiene mayor riesgo de desarrollar sarcopenia, debido a la pérdida de masa muscular y fuerza, además de la tendencia a la obesidad central que se asocia al envejecimiento y a los cambios de composición corporal que se producen durante este proceso de envejecimiento (13,15,16).…”