An Overview of Sarcopenia: Focusing on Nutritional Treatment Approaches

Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by the progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This condition is associated with physical disability, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Therefore, reducing the prevalence of sarcopenia could significantly lower healthcare costs. Sarcopenia can be classified into primary and secondary sarcopenia. The former is related to aging and begins after the fourth decade of life; after that, there is a muscle loss of around 8% per decade until age 70, which subsequently increases to 15% per decade. On the other hand, secondary sarcopenia can affect all individuals and may result from various factors, including physical inactivity, malnutrition, endocrine disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and cachexia. Understanding the multiple mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of sarcopenia allows us to develop strategies that can prevent, treat, or at least mitigate muscle loss caused by increased protein breakdown. One potential treatment of sarcopenia is based on nutritional interventions, including adequate caloric and protein intake and specific nutrients that support muscle health. Such nutrients include natural food rich in whey protein and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as nutritional supplements like branched-chain amino acids, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, and vitamin D, along with food for special medical purposes. It's important to emphasize that physical exercises, especially resistance training, promote per se muscle protein synthesis and work synergistically with nutritional strategies to enhance their effectiveness.