As we grow older we may experience age-related muscle loss known as sarcopenia.1 You can take proactive steps to help prevent sarcopenia by working with your doctor to develop a diet and exercise plan to keep your muscles healthy. Read on to learn how doctors test for sarcopenia and how to tailor your diet and exercise routine to help prevent muscle loss.
The first step to identifying sarcopenia is to screen for risk. Your doctor may give you a physical exam and may ask you to complete a 5-item questionnaire called SARC-F.2
SARC-F stands for:
Strength
Assistance with walking
Rising from a chair
Climbing stairs
Falls
Each of the 5 components, is given a score between 0 to 2 based on how you feel you are limited by them. The maximum total SARC-F score is 10.
Based on your SARC-F questionnaire score, your doctor may do additional tests to assess your muscle strength. There are several tests your doctor may recommend, 2 of these include the grip strength test and chair stand measures. We discuss the chair stand test in more detail in the section below.
Your doctor may also recommend a DXA scan or may carry out a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to confirm a diagnosis of sarcopenia. Once confirmed, the severity of the condition is assessed using physical performance tests, such as the gait speed test (the time one takes to walk a specified distance).
As mentioned in the section above, the chair stand measure is a similar test that can be used to assess muscle strength.3 By following the simple steps shown below, you can test your muscle health at home with the help of a family member or loved one. Use your results to help guide discussions with your GP, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional if you think you might be at risk of sarcopenia.
Choose a chair approximately 43 cm high with a firm back. Make sure that the back of the chair is against the wall. Sit on the chair (in the middle) and place your feet flat on the ground.
With your arms folded across your chest and your back straight, practise sitting to standing 5 times, one after the other. When you feel comfortable and know what to do, move on to Step 3 to take the test.
Get a relative, friend, carer, or healthcare professional to use a timer to see how long it takes for you to sit to stand 5 times, as fast as possible. Stop at any time if you feel unwell or unsafe.
| Slow | Intermediate | Fast |
| More than 15 seconds | 12–15 seconds | Less than 12 seconds |
For results that take more than 15 seconds please consider steps to help slow down muscle loss and improve muscle strength and function.
Good nutrition and muscle exercises play a role in improving muscle strength and function and can help slow the progression of sarcopenia.1 Here are a few things you could consider:
Exercise daily: engage in regular exercise, including resistance training to maintain muscle strength.4,5
Maintain a healthy diet: include foods high in protein (aim for 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal).6 Choose a balanced diet full of veggies, fruits and whole grains to ensure you are getting enough key vitamins and minerals like calcium and vitamin D.7,8
Consider an oral nutritional supplement: If you are at risk of sarcopenia, consider taking an oral nutritional supplement with muscle health ingredients like protein, vitamin D, calcium and HMB.9
If you think you may be at risk of sarcopenia, speak to your doctor or healthcare professional who will be able to do a full assessment and provide you with a diagnosis.
Ensure Plus Strength is a convenient source of complete, balanced nutrition with 28 essential vitamins and minerals.10
It is the only oral nutritional supplement in Australia enriched with high-quality protein and CaHMB.*10
Contains protein and vitamin D to support muscle strength and recovery.7,10,11
Clinically shown to improve nutritional status and protect muscle mass, strength and function in over 20 clinical studies.12–15
Discover more about these molecules, how they can help protect your body's cells against damage and where to find them in your diet.
B vitamins play an important role in brain and cognitive function. Learn more about B vitamins and find practical ways to incorporate them into your diet.
Discover more about these molecules, how they can help protect your body's cells against damage and where to find them in your diet.
Food for Special Medical Purposes. Use only under medical supervision.
CaHMB: calcium ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate. DXA: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ONS: oral nutritional supplement.
*Claim is valid on date of Ensure Plus Strength Brand Research (4 November 2021).
References: 1. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, et al. Age Ageing. 2019;48(1):16–31. 2. Malmstrom TK, et al. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2016; 7: 28–36. 3. Dodds RM, et al. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2021;12:308–318. 4. Argiles JM, et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2016;17(9):789–96. 5. Bauer J, et al. JAMDA. 2013;14:542–59. 6. Symons T, et al. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(9):1582–86. 7. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra National Health and Medical Research Council; 2006 – Vitamin D. Available online: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-d. Accessed: May 2023. 8. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra National Health and Medical Research Council; 2006 – Calcium. Available online: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/calcium. Accessed: May 2023. 9. Deutz NE, et al. JAMDA. 2019;20:22–27. 10. Ensure® Plus Strength Product Label. 11. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra National Health and Medical Research Council; 2006 – Protein. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/protein. Accessed: May 2023. 12. Deutz NE, et al. Clin Nutr. 2016;35(1):18–26. 13. Deutz NE, et al. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(3):1388–1395. 14. Ritch CR et al. J Urol. 2019;201(3):470–477. 15. Malafarina V, et al. Maturitas. 2017;101:42–50. 16. Olveira G, et al. Clin Nutr. 2016;35(5):1015–1022. 17. Ekinci O, et al. Nutr Clin Pract. 2016;31(6):829–835. 18. Cramer JT, et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2016;17(11):1044–1055. 19. Berton L, et al. PLoS One. 2015;10(11):e0141757. 20. De Luis DA, et al. Nutr Hosp. 2015;32(1):202–207. 21. De Luis DA, et al. Eur Geriatr Med. 2018;9(6):809–817. 22. Matheson EM, et al. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(3):844-849. 23. Peng LN, et al. J Nutr Health Aging. 2021; 25(6):767–773. 24. Loman BR, et al. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2019;43(6):794–802. 25. Olveira C, et al. Nutr Hosp. 2020;37(1):6–13. 26. Zana S, et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021;22(7):1358–1360. 27. Standley RA, et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020;75(9):1744–1753. 28. Pereira SL, et al. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1196. 29. Espina S, et al. Nutrients. 2021;13(11):3764. 30. Cornejo-Pareja I, et al. Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4355. 31. López-Rodríguez-Arias F, et al. Support Care Cancer. 2021;29(12):7785–7791.
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