Possible Sarcopenia is Related to Leisure-Time Physical Activity but Not to Occupational Activity

Physical activity (PA) has long been considered a key strategy in the management of sarcopenia. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine domain-specific physical activity, including leisure-time and occupational activities, in relation to possible sarcopenia (PS) among middle-aged and older adults.

We analyzed a total of 15,819 adults aged ≥40 years. PS was defined on the basis of handgrip strength (males <28 kg and females <18 kg) according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to evaluate domain-specific PA, including weekly leisure-time or occupational moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). MVPA was classified into three categories: no activity, 1-149 min/week, and ≥150 min/week. Parameters potentially related to PS or PA were included as covariates: age, sex, household income, education, medication, alcohol and smoking habits, nutritional status, and body weight.

Compared with participants with no leisure-time MVPA, those with 1-149 min/week and ≥150 min/week of leisure-time MVPA had odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 0.64 (0.54, 0.74) and 0.60 (0.52, 0.68) for PS, respectively (p<0.001 for both). However, occupational MVPA was not significantly related to PS. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, age, and sedentary time revealed no significant heterogeneity (all p-values for interactions >0.05).

These findings demonstrate that PS is inversely related to leisure-time PA but not to occupational PA among middle-aged and older adults, suggesting that PA programs that focus specifically on leisure-time activities may be necessary to prevent and manage possible sarcopenia.