Research
Mixed
Sarcopenia is driven by anabolic resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation, which decouple muscle mass from muscle function.
Understanding that muscle mass and function are different helps explain why you might look stronger but still feel weak. Treating the underlying inflammation and mitochondrial health is as important as building size.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
This disconnect between gains in muscle mass and limited improvement in strength or function highlights the importance of targeting muscle quality and function, rather than muscle mass alone.
Why this rating
Synthesized from multiple mechanistic studies and transcriptomic data.
Source
Molecular Mechanisms and Nutritional Modulation in Sarcopenia: A Narrative Review
Hui San Chin et al. · Nutrients · 2026
DOI 10.3390/nu18071161
narrative_review
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
- Nutritional interventions (protein, leucine, HMB, creatine) preserve or modestly increase lean mass in sarcopenia but fail to consistently restore muscle strength or physical function when applied in isolation.Good
Related findings · Mixed
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