Mixed
Weakness combined with normal lean mass still carries a high risk of mobility impairment, suggesting that muscle quality (function) is distinct from muscle quantity (mass).
You can have normal muscle size but still be 'weak' and at high risk for mobility issues. This is often due to muscle quality (fat infiltration, nerve function) rather than size. Strength training can improve function even if muscle size doesn't change dramatically.
Men who were weak with normal lean mass had two to nearly five times the odds of incident mobility impairment than those who were not weak with normal lean mass.
Why this rating
Clear statistical association in a large pooled cohort.
Source
Criteria for Clinically Relevant Weakness and Low Lean Mass and Their Longitudinal Association With Incident Mobility Impairment and Mortality: The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project
Robert R. McLean et al. · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · 2014
DOI 10.1093/gerona/glu012
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