Strength Exercise
Sarcopenia: A Word You Are Likely to Hear More About

We know that muscle-building exercises can improve strength in most older adults, but many questions remain about muscle loss and aging. Researchers want to know, for example, if factors other than a sedentary lifestyle contribute to muscle loss. Does age itself cause changes in the muscles of older people? Is muscle loss related to changes in hormones or nutrition? These are the kinds of questions scientists are examining now. The answers may lead to ways of helping us keep our strength as we age.

We use the word "frailty" to describe the loss of muscle and strength often seen in older people, because it's a word that most people are familiar with. The problem is that "frailty" has more than one meaning. A better word to use, but one that most people haven't heard of, is "sarcopenia" (pronounced sar - ko - PEEN - ya). It's the word researchers use to mean not only the loss of muscle and strength but also the decreased quality of muscle tissue often seen in older adults. It's a word you are likely to hear more about in the future, since sarcopenia is a very active area of research.