Mixed
Increased intramuscular adipose tissue (myosteatosis) and intramyocellular lipids independently impair skeletal muscle function, force generation, and metabolic health in aging adults, often preceding loss of muscle mass.
For older adults, maintaining muscle mass is important, but ensuring muscle 'quality' (low fat infiltration) is equally critical for mobility and metabolic health. Standard weight or BMI measures may miss 'myosteatosis' (fat inside muscles), which impairs strength and insulin sensitivity. Imaging like ultrasound or MRI can assess this, but currently, functional tests (grip strength, gait speed) are the most accessible proxies for muscle quality in clinical settings.
Changes in muscle tissue composition, based on excessive levels of inter- and intra-muscular adipose tissue and intramyocellular lipids, have been found to adversely impact metabolism and peak force generation.
Why this rating
Based on a symposium report synthesizing multiple observational and mechanistic studies, though not a single RCT.
Source
The Need for Standardized Assessment of Muscle Quality in Skeletal Muscle Function Deficit and Other Aging-Related Muscle Dysfunctions: A Symposium Report
Rosaly Correa‐de‐Araujo et al. · Frontiers in Physiology · 2017
DOI 10.3389/fphys.2017.00087
More from this paper
- Myosteatosis is associated with insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia independent of total body adiposity (BMI or DXA whole body fat).Good
- Current standardized assessment of muscle quality is lacking, with no single ideal endpoint measure, necessitating consensus on definitions and standardized imaging or functional tests.Moderate
Related findings · Mixed
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