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Review
. 2016 Jul 7;11(2):167-181.
doi: 10.1177/1559827615594343. eCollection 2017 Mar-Apr.

The Current Understanding of Sarcopenia: Emerging Tools and Interventional Possibilities

Affiliations
Review

The Current Understanding of Sarcopenia: Emerging Tools and Interventional Possibilities

Matthew J Delmonico et al. Am J Lifestyle Med. .

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to provide health practitioners and physicians the most current state of the research on sarcopenia, its consequences, and to offer a summary of consensus guidelines for identification based on the most recent and compelling investigations and analyses. To accomplish this, the causes and consequences of sarcopenia will be described, and definitions and screening methods are updated. Importantly, interventional recommendations for sarcopenia will be discussed with a special emphasis on the effects of resistance training on sarcopenia-related outcomes. Furthermore, due to the increasing usage of hormone treatment as a strategy to combat sarcopenia, special consideration on the effects of hormone changes with aging and as interventions will be briefly reviewed.

Keywords: aging; function; muscle; strength.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
A Working Model by Clark and Manini of the Hypothesized Etiologic Factors That Are Responsible for the Development of Dynapenia in Older Adults. Used with permission from the authors.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Average National and International Masters Level Men’s and Women’s Combined Total Weightlifting Records Are Presented From Competition Results of the USA National, Pan American, and American Masters Competition Weightlifting Events Occurring Between August 1, 2014 and February 20, 2015. Adapted from the United States Masters Program weightlifting records available at www.mastersweightlifting.org.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Five-Year Percentage Changes in Mid-Thigh Muscle Cross-Sectional Area (CSA), Knee Extensor Torque, and Muscle Quality (Torque Divided by CSA) in 1678 men and women from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Adapted with permission from Delmonico et al.

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