Table 1.

Sarcopenia definitions and proposed cut-offs

Professional group	Sarcopenia definition
Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) (2014)35	Low muscle mass plus low muscle strength and/or low physical performance. Cut-offs Handgrip strength <26 kg for males, <18 kg for females Gait speed <0.8 m/s Height adjusted muscle mass using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry <7.0 kg/m2 for males, <5.4 kg/m2 for females Height adjusted muscle mass using bioimpedance <7.0 kg/m2 for males, <5.7 kg/m2 for females
AWGS (2019)36	Low muscle mass plus low muscle strength and/or low physical performance. Cut-offs Handgrip strength <28 kg for males, <18 kg for females 6 m walk <1.0 m/s Short Physical Performance Battery score ≤9 5-time chair stand test ≥12 s AWGS 2019 retains the original cut-offs for height-adjusted muscle mass
European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older Persons (EWGSOP) (2010)34	Presence of both low muscle mass and low muscle function (strength or performance). Cut-offs Gait speed ≤0.8 m/s Offers examples from literature of various cut-off points for muscle mass and handgrip strength
EWGSOP2 (2019)1	Low muscle strength key characteristic, low muscle quantity and quality to confirm diagnosis. Physical performance as indicator of severity. Cut-offs Grip strength <27 kg for males, <16 kg for females Gait speed ≤0.8 m/s Short Physical Performance Battery score ≤8 Timed up and go ≥20 s Chair stand >15 s for five rises 400 m walk test non-completion or ≥6 min for completion
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (2014)37	Low muscle mass and weakness. Cut-offs Appendicular lean mass adjusted for BMI <0.789 for males, <0.512 for females Gait speed <0.8 m/s Grip strength <26 kg for males, <16 kg for females
International Working Group on Sarcopenia (2011)40	Loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. Cut-offs Gait speed less than 1 m/s Appendicular mass relative to height ≤7.23 kg/m2 for males, ≤5.67 kg/m2 for females
Sarcopenia Definition and Outcomes Consortium (2020)41	Muscle weakness defined by low grip strength and slowness defined by low usual gait speed. Cut-offs Maximal grip strength <35.5 kg for males, <20 kg for females Grip strength/BMI <1.05 for males, <0.79 for females Grip strength/total body fat <1.66 for males, <0.65 for females Grip strength/arm lean mass <6.1 for males, <3.26 for females Grip strength/body weight <0.45 for males, <0.34 for females Gait speed <0.8 m/s
Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (2011)39	Reduced muscle mass, with limited mobility. Cut-offs Lean appendicular mass/height2 of ≤2 SD below mean of healthy persons between 20 and 30 years of same ethnic group Walking speed ≤1 m/s or <400 m during 6 min walk
Special Interest Group (2010)38	Combined presence of low muscle mass and low muscle function defined by low gait speed or well-established functional tests. Cut-offs Muscle mass percentage of ≥2 SD below the mean measured in young adults of the same sex and ethnic background <0.8 m/s during 4 m walking test

BMI, body mass index.