Table 3 Biochemical parameters in younger, older and sarcopenic older women and men (n = 240)

  Myostatin (ng/mL)

5.5 (3.2–7.3)

7.3 (5.7–11.7)*

5.3 (4.2–8.0)***

  Myostatin/TBLM (ng/ml/kg)

0.142 (0.091–0.195)

0.199 (0.138–0.327)*

0.175 (0.145–0.255)**

  Propeptide (ng/ml)

7.1 (5.2–10.8)

11.4 (7.3–20.1)*

10.0 (6.5–12.4)***

  Propeptide/TBLM (ng/ml/kg)

0.194 (0.139–0.294)

0.292 (0.186–0.203)*

0.307 (0.203–0.417)**

  FLRG (ng/mL)

5.1 (4.3–6.0)

7.3 (6.2–9.7)*

8.3 (6.7–10.6)**

  GASP1 (ng/mL)

7.6 (6.5–10.1)

9.4 (7.2–11.0)

9.2 (7.1–12.2)**

  Total 25-(OH)D (ng/mL)

25.0 (17.3–34.8)

20.0 (14.3–24.0)*

18.5 (14.0–24.8)**

  IGF-1 (ng/mL)

235 (191–305)

141 (93–183)*

105 (78–147)**^,***

  IGF-2 (ng/mL)

1160 (958–1375)

1112 (933–1367)

1167 (884–1336)

  IGFBP-2 (ng/mL)

406 (190–621)

447 (308–775)

635 (539–987)**^,***

  IGFBP-3 (ng/mL)

4580 (4099–5094)

4096 (3536–4513)*

3913 (3171–4389)**

  Total E₁ (pg/mL)

47.0 (33.3–57.8)

31.0 (19.0–37.0)*

23.0 (16.0–29.0)**

  Total E₂ (pg/mL)

54.0 (30.5–108.5)

5.6 (4.2–9.1)*

4.9 (3.2–7.3)**

  Total T (ng/dL)

23.5 (18.0–30.0)

16.0 (12.0–24.0)*

21.0 (11.0–30.0)

  Bio E₂ (pg/mL)

15.0 (8.2–28.2)

2.1 (1.0–3.2)*

1.0 (0.6–1.7)**^,***

  Bio T (ng/dL)

1.5 (0.9–2.1)

1.5 (1.0–2.6)

1.1 (0.7–1.8)***

  SHBG (nmol/L)

63.1 (45.0–95.6)

40.5 (23.2–57.8)*

52.8 (46.7–73.0)***

  Myostatin (ng/mL)

10.5 (9.0–14.4)

7.1 (5.4–8.8)*

6.9 (4.4–8.9)**

  Myostatin/TBLM (ng/ml/kg)

0.192 (0.156–0.241)

0.131 (0.101–0.164)*

0.153 (0.092–0.192)**

  Propeptide (ng/ml)

15.7 (11.7–19.4)

11.8 (7.6–15.7)

10.8 (6.4–14.9)**

  Propeptide/TBLM (ng/ml/kg)

0.276 (0.207–0.328)

0.216 (0.137–0.305)

0.240 (0.153–0.309)

  FLRG (ng/mL)

4.5 (3.8–5.3)

7.5 (6.1–9.4)*

7.4 (6.3–9.9)**

  GASP1 (ng/mL)

9.4 (7.5–10.6)

9.4 (7.3–10.7)

10.3 (8.9–11.9)

  Total 25-(OH)D (ng/mL)

23.5 (17.0–31.8)

21.5 (17.0–25.8)

21.0 (16.0–26.8)

  IGF-1 (ng/mL)

344 (292–446)

193 (114–245)*

169 (103–245)**

  IGF-2 (ng/mL)

1099 (1005–1226)

961 (774–1075)*

964 (785–1071)**

  IGFBP-2 (ng/mL)

244 (142–361)

547 (391–728)*

758 (531–1049)**

  IGFBP-3 (ng/mL)

4469 (3833–4988)

3202 (2596–3581)*

3230 (2613–4019)**^,***

  Total E₁ (pg/mL)

32.5 (25.3–38.0)

35.0 (30.0–45.0)*

31.0 (25.5–44.0)

  Total E₂ (pg/mL)

23.0 (19.0–30.0)

25.0 (20.0–28.0)

23.0 (18.0–29.0)

  Total T (ng/dL)

462 (392–549)

424 (321–526)

484 (388–609)

  Bio E₂ (pg/mL)

12.8 (11.0–17.5)

9.5 (7.1–11.0)*

7.4 (5.5–10.0)**

  Bio T (ng/dL)

133 (115–156)

50.8 (37.0–63.5)*

50.8 (37.4–62.7)**

  SHBG (nmol/L)

25.1 (19.4–31.3)

45.5 (39.0–58.6)*

50.3 (39.9–64.0)**