Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalised skeletal muscle disorder involving the accelerated loss of muscle mass and strength that is associated with increased adverse outcomes including falls, functional decline, frailty, and mortality.
With the aging population in Singapore, it has become more and more important to address the issue of muscle health. An article published by BMC Geriatrics1 presents recommendations for what we can do to identify, assess and address sarcopenia throughout life and before and after illnesses. These recommendations are based on the new multidisciplinary consensus reviewed and endorsed by the Society of Rehabilitation Medicine Singapore and the Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association.
Have you checked on your muscle health lately? The first thing to do is to find out if you are at risk of sarcopenia and if you need to strengthen the muscles. You can use the adapted version of the self-screening questionnaire, called SARC-F, below. Find out if you or your loved one is at risk of sarcopenia.
SARC-F explained
Strength, Assistance in walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, Falls
Are You Able To Carry A 5kg Bag Of Rice Home From The Supermarket With No Problems?*
Do You Walk From Your Room To Kitchen For A Glass Of Water With Ease?*
Do You Find It Easy To Get Out Of Bed In The Morning?*
Can You Walk Up A Flight Of Stairs With Ease?*
How Many Times Have You Fallen In The Past Year?*
Result:
You may be at risk of muscle loss but it’s not too late to start improving your muscle health now. Speak to your doctor to find out how to improve your muscle health through nutrition and exercise. Act now to live life strong!
Result:
You don't seem to be at risk for sarcopenia. If you are concerned, please consult with a doctor.
Alternatively, you can take the muscle age* test to uncover your muscle age.
Once you are done with the self-assessment, there are 3 main changes that you can make to your lifestyle to treat or prevent sarcopenia.
Start practicing resistance-based exercises, using resistance bands or weights. Walking and keeping active are also key to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Every day is key. It is better to do a little bit every day, than one big session once a week.
Studies have shown that in order to maintain muscle mass and muscle health as we age, we need more protein in our diet. In addition, HMB (β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate), which supports muscle building and prevents muscle loss, when taken as part of an oral nutrition supplement, may be beneficial for building and preserving muscle mass in older adults, according to the SHIELD Study1 , by Changi General Hospital (CGH), SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP), and Abbott. In fact, adults with malnutrition risk who consumed two glasses of an oral nutritional supplement with HMB and were supported with dietary counselling were 3x more likely to have lower nutritional risk; significantly improved leg strength at 90 days and significantly improved handgrip among females at 180 days.
HMB is a leucine metabolite that helps counteract muscle loss. It is present in small quantities in foods such as avocados, citrus fruit, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, eggs and beef. Although leucine is found in food, adequate HMB is difficult to get from the diet alone. It is also known that levels of HMB in the body, may decrease with age.
Vitamin D is vital to maintain normal muscle function. You need 600-800 IU/Day of Vitamin D. Get your daily dose of sunshine! Step outside and enjoy the sun. The SHIELD study has also shown that the consumption of 2 servings of the specialised ONS with HMB daily, improved Vitamin D levels.
Take the SARC-F test today, and make it a family habit to live life strong. It is never too late to start improving your muscle health.
REFERENCES:
1 1 Chew, S.T.H., Kayambu, G., Lew, C.C.H. et al. Singapore multidisciplinary consensus recommendations on muscle health in older adults: assessment and multimodal targeted intervention across the continuum of care. BMC Geriatr 21, 314 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02240-8
SG.2021.18565.ENS.1
Did you know that our muscle mass and strength peaks at age 401 before declining at accelerated rate? One can lose up to 8% muscle mass per decade2. Additionally, muscle strength loss occurs 2 times faster than muscle mass loss every year3.
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Active ageing while maintaining your muscles can be challenging, however science has shown that we can all be strong no matter what age.
Our muscles allow us to go about our days with ease, but we rarely think about muscle loss and how we should be treating our muscles as we age.
Muscle Degeneration Starts At 40. You may not realise, but adults naturally start losing muscle around age 40.
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