Mixed
Myosteatosis (intramuscular adipose tissue accumulation) is a consistent marker of aging that negatively correlates with muscle strength, mobility, and insulin sensitivity, independent of total muscle mass.
For older adults, maintaining muscle strength and mobility requires attention to muscle quality, not just size. Regular physical activity can prevent the age-associated increase in intramuscular fat (myosteatosis), which is a key driver of mobility disability and insulin resistance, even if muscle mass remains stable.
Skeletal muscle fat infiltration (known as myosteatosis) is an ectopic fat depot that increases with aging and is recognized to negatively correlate with muscle mass, strength, and mobility and disrupt metabolism (insulin resistance, diabetes).
Why this rating
Supported by multiple longitudinal studies (Health ABC, LIFE pilot) and cross-sectional analyses across diverse populations.
Source
Myosteatosis in the Context of Skeletal Muscle Function Deficit: An Interdisciplinary Workshop at the National Institute on Aging
Rosaly Correa‐de‐Araujo et al. · Frontiers in Physiology · 2020
DOI 10.3389/fphys.2020.00963
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