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Published on: March 21, 2021
Lower body site-specific sarcopenia and accelerometer-determined moderate and vigorous physical activity: the
Takashi Abe1, Naotoshi Mitsukawa, Robert S Thiebaud
1Department of Health, Exercise Sciences, & Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, 215 Turner Center, Oxford, MS 38677, USA. t12abe@gmail.com
Background And Aims:
It is unknown if the site-specific muscle loss of ageing muscle is associated with accelerometer-determined daily step count and/or intensity of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between accelerometer- determined physical activity and lower body muscle size in women.
Methods:
Forty-eight women aged 52 to 76 years had their muscle thickness (MTH) measured by B-mode ultrasound at seven sites on the anterior and posterior aspects of their upper- and lower-leg. Daytime physical activity was measured using an accelerometer on 30 consecutive days and the total duration of each level of exercise intensity (light-PA, moderate-PA and vigorous-PA), average step count, and physical activity-related energy expenditure were calculated.
Results:
Age was inversely correlated with anterior 30% upper-leg MTH (r=-0.296, p<0.05), but not with other measured MTH sites. Light-PA was not significantly (p>0.05) correlated with measured lower body MTH. However, moderate-PA was correlated (p<0.05) with lower-leg MTH, while vigorous-PA was correlated (p<0.05) with lower-leg and anterior 30% upper- leg MTH. Following adjustment for confounding factors, the anterior and posterior lower-leg MTH was positively correlated (p<0.05) with duration of moderate- PA and vigorous-PA, as well as average step count.
Conclusions:
Thus daily moderate and vigorous physical activity was associated with higher muscle mass in the lower leg, but not in the upper-leg muscle, suggesting that the site-specific upper-leg muscle loss may not be prevented or attenuated by daily physical activity.
