Barone Michele, Baccaro Palmina, Molfino Alessio
Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, University of Bari, Policlinic University Hospital, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Nutrients. 2025 Apr 1;17(7):1237. doi: 10.3390/nu17071237.
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 years, 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 for 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 is important to emphasize that physical exercises, especially resistance training, not only promote muscle protein synthesis on their own but also work synergistically with nutritional strategies to enhance their effectiveness.
肌肉减少症是一种以骨骼肌质量和力量进行性、全身性丧失为特征的综合征。这种情况与身体残疾、生活质量下降和死亡率增加有关。因此，降低肌肉减少症的患病率可显著降低医疗成本。肌肉减少症可分为原发性和继发性肌肉减少症。前者与衰老有关，始于生命的第四个十年之后；此后，每十年肌肉流失约8%，直至70岁，随后每十年增至15%。另一方面，继发性肌肉减少症可影响所有个体，可能由多种因素引起，包括缺乏身体活动、营养不良、内分泌失调、神经退行性疾病、炎症和恶病质。了解肌肉减少症发生和发展所涉及的多种机制，使我们能够制定预防、治疗或至少减轻因蛋白质分解增加导致的肌肉流失的策略。肌肉减少症的一种潜在治疗方法基于营养干预，包括充足的热量和蛋白质摄入以及支持肌肉健康的特定营养素。这些营养素包括富含乳清蛋白和ω-3脂肪酸的天然食物，以及支链氨基酸、β-羟基-β-甲基丁酸酯和维生素D等营养补充剂以及特殊医学用途食品。必须强调的是，体育锻炼，尤其是抗阻训练，不仅自身能促进肌肉蛋白质合成，还能与营养策略协同作用以提高其有效性。
