Question: does sarcopenia stop people from being able to move properly

Alex Munro answered on 12 Jun 2011:

Sarcopenia is a loss of muscle mass and reduced physical capability; the more muscle you have and the more you use it, the stronger you are; think of a weight lifter or a runner… strong, trained muscles. With sarcopenia, older people start to lose their muscle mass, there is also a loss of muscle quality (muscle is infiltrated with fat, for example); this means that they become weaker; they are less able to carry things, walk, get up from chairs, grip things… these are sometimes called Activities of Daily Living. When this happens older people have to be helped and eventually may have to go into a care home…