Article: Sportärztezeitung 01/22 by Prof Dr Henning Wackerhage, Marie Heiber, Frederik Hölzl , Marius Meinhold
Germans are ageing: 16 million of the 83 million Germans are currently over 67 years old and it is predicted that the number of over 67-year-olds will increase by 22 % to 20 million by 2035 (data from the Federal Statistical Office). One problem that occurs in old age is muscle ageing, for which Irwin H. Rosenberg proposed the term "sarcopenia" in 1988.
Specialist articles from from PROF. DR. HENNING WACKERHAGE, MARIE HEIBER, FREDERIK HÖLZL , MARIUS MEINHOLD - sportärztezeitung 1/22
Muscular age-related disease that can be effectively prevented and treated
The term "sarcopenia" is derived from the Greek sarx "flesh" and penia "loss" [1] and is mostly used today to describe two things:
- Age phenomenon: decline in muscle mass, strength and speed
- Diagnosable muscle disease (ICD code 62.50)
Why is sarcopenia a serious condition? Sarcopenia makes us look older, makes us frail, reduces mobility (e.g. dependence on a walking frame), increases the risk of falls [2, 3], dependency and admission to a retirement or nursing home. It is also associated with increased mortality [4]. Because of all these problems and consequences associated with sarcopenia, it is important that serious efforts are made to diagnose, prevent and treat this condition as part of routine medical practice. A diagnostic scheme for sarcopenia is shown in the figure. Specifically, the SARC-F questionnaire is used to diagnose sarcopenia by first checking whether patients have problems with strength, walking, standing up or climbing stairs or have fallen [6]. From 4 points on the SARC-F questionnaire, a grip strength test or a chair stand-up test should be carried out. If grip strength is less than 27 kg in men or less than 16 kg in women and/or patients need more than 15 seconds to get up from a chair five times, then "sarcopenia probable" can be diagnosed. Patients should be treated as soon as this diagnosis is made [6].
Here it goes on.
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Conclusion and demands
To summarise, sarcopenia is a phenomenon of old age and a disease of old age that can be easily diagnosed, prevented and treated with sarcopenia strength training and an anabolic diet. This is not happening enough at the moment and that is why we are calling for it:
- Every general practitioner or sports physician should test for sarcopenia in people over 65 with muscle or mobility problems and start treatment if the diagnosis is "sarcopenia probable".
- Sarcopenia patients should be treated with sarcopenia strength training, which improves everyday functions such as walking, climbing stairs, standing up and carrying, as well as muscle mass, strength and speed and reduces the risk of falling, and an anabolic diet with at least 1.0 - 1.2 g protein per kg body weight per day.
- For non-sarcopenic seniors, you should recommend WHO Healthy Training, a combination of endurance and strength training [7], to prevent sarcopenia and other diseases of old age.
- Sarcopenia should be taught in medical studies and in the training of carers, fitness trainers, sports scientists and other healthcare professions. Additional training in "sarcopenia" is desirable.
