Table 2 Descriptive characteristics of younger, older, and sarcopenic older women and men (n = 240)

  Age (years)

32.3 ± 5.5

76.0 ± 8.6*

78.4 ± 8.2**

  Weight (kg)

69.2 ± 17.4

78.2 ± 13.9*

68.1 ± 11.9***

  Height (cm)

165 ± 6.3

160 ± 6.0*

160 ± 6.5**

  BMI (kg/m²)

25.3 ± 5.9

30.6 ± 4.6*

26.7 ± 3.9***

  Relative ASM (kg/m²)

5.9 ± 0.6

6.1 ± 0.7

4.9 ± 0.4**^,***

  TBLM (kg)

37.4 ± 3.9

37.9 ± 5.3

31.1 ± 3.3 **^,***

  TBLM/weight

0.56 ± 0.11

0.49 ± 0.07*

0.47 ± 0.07**

  TBFM (kg)

28.2 ± 14.5

37.4 ± 10.4*

33.4 ± 9.7

  TBFM/weight

0.38 ± 0.11

0.47 ± 0.07*

0.48 ± 0.07**

  Grip strength (kg)

27.5 ± 5.1

22.7 ± 5.1*

19.9 ± 3.4*****

  Knee extensor strength (kg)

69.6 ± 16.9

52.7 ± 16.5*

42.9 ± 9.8*****

  Energy expenditure (kcal/week)

30837 ± 7744

25399 ± 6125*

22645 ± 6451**

 Clinical variables

  Age (years)

33.0 ± 3.8

74.8 ± 7.3*

78.9 ± 6.8**^,***

  Weight (kg)

92.3 ± 16.7

89.7 ± 15.6

75.9 ± 9.6**^,***

  Height (cm)

179 ± 5.8

175 ± 6.0*

171 ± 7.2**^,***

  BMI (kg/m²)

28.8 ± 4.7

29.2 ± 4.0

26.0 ± 2.4**^,***

  Relative ASM (kg/m²)

8.5 ± 1.0

7.9 ± 0.4*

6.7 ± 0.5**^,***

  TBLM (kg)

57.6 ± 7.3

54.7 ± 4.2

45.9 ± 4.9**^,***

  TBLM/weight

0.63 ± 0.08

0.62 ± 0.08

0.61 ± 0.07

  TBFM (kg)

30.7 ± 12.0

31.6 ± 12.5

26.5 ± 7.3***

  TBFM/weight

0.32 ± 0.08

0.34 ± 0.08

0.34 ± 0.06

 Muscle strength

  Grip strength (kg)

50.4 ± 9.5

39.2 ± 7.4*

33.7 ± 7.4**^,***

  Knee extensor strength (kg)

122 ± 33.7

80.7 ± 19.1*

61.7 ± 16.8**^,***

 Physical activity

  Energy expenditure (kcal/week)

40136 ± 14350

34222 ± 9090*

27009 ± 7008**^,***