. 2022 Aug 17;13(6):2791–2806. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.13064

Table 3.

Description of study papers

Author/Country	Study design	Subgroups	Participants (M/F)	Age (years)	Diagnosis criteria	Lower limb muscle measures	Biomarkers
Chen et al. (2017) ³¹ China	RCT	Sarcopenic with aerobic training	15 (1/14)	69 ± 3	ASMM (BIA) ≤ 32.5% men; ≤25.7% women	Knee extensor force	IGF‐1
		Sarcopenic with resistance training	15 (3/12)	69 ± 4
		Sarcopenic with combination training	15 (4/11)	69 ± 3
		Sarcopenic control	15 (2/13)	69 ± 3
Chen et al. (2019) ³⁰ USA	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	1 (0/1)	87	BMD (DEXA) T‐score> − 1; SMMI (DEXA) ≤ 5.5 kg/m²	Jump power	CTX‐1; CTX‐1/TRAP5b ratio; miR‐100‐5p; miR‐125b‐5p; miR‐133a‐3p; miR‐1‐3p; miR‐20; miR‐21–5p; miR‐23a‐3p; miR‐24‐3p; TRAP5b
		Sarco‐osteopenic	15 (0/15)	69 ± 5	BMD (DEXA) T‐score ≤ − 1; SMMI (DEXA) ≤ 5.5 kg/m²
		Control	13 (0/13)	69 ± 7	BMD (DEXA) T‐score ≤ − 1; SMMI (DEXA) > 5.5 kg/m²
He et al. (2020) ³² China	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	93	76 ± 1	AWG (BIA) (sarcopenic)	Knee extension torque	Creatinine; HDLc; LDLc; miR‐1; miR‐126; miR‐133a; miR‐133b; miR‐146a; miR‐155; miR‐208b; miR‐20a; miR‐21; miR‐210; miR‐221; miR‐222; miR‐328; miR‐486; miR‐499; total cholesterol; triglycerides; HbA1c
He et al. (2020) ³² China	Cross‐sectional	Control	93	76 ± 1		Knee extension torque
He et al. (2020) ³³ UK	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	24 (0/24)	73 ± 4	Both SMMI<6.75 kg/m² and HGS < 26 kg	Knee extension torque	Alpha‐actinin‐3 (ACTN3); angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme (ACE); ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF); fat mass and obesity‐associated (FTO); gene‐wise methylation score (MSSNP); hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A); methylation levels of sarcopenia‐driven CpG sites (MSSAR); myostatin (MSTN); vitamin D receptor
He et al. (2020) ³³ UK	Cross‐sectional	Control	24 (0/24)	70 ± 3		Knee extension torque
Hinkley et al. (2020) ³⁴ USA	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	7 (2/5)	71 ± 2	EWGSOP (DEXA) (sarcopenic)	Knee extensor power; quadriceps muscle volume	Creatine; glycerol‐phosphoethanolamine (GPE); phosphatidylcholine, 108; phosphatidylethanolamine, 79; Phosphatidylglycerol, 157; Phosphocreatine (resting); phosphodiester peak
Hinkley et al. (2020) ³⁴ USA	Cross‐sectional	Control	17 (10/7)	71 ± 1		Knee extensor power; quadriceps muscle volume
Hofmann et al. (2015) ³⁵ Austria	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	9 (0/9)	65–92	EWGSOP (DEXA) (sarcopenic)	Knee extensor torque	Activin A; follistatin; GDF‐15; IGF‐1; Myostatin
Hofmann et al. (2015) ³⁵ Austria	Cross‐sectional	Control	70 (0/70)	65–92		Knee extensor torque	Activin A; follistatin; GDF‐15; IGF‐1; Myostatin
Kim et al. (2016) ³⁷ Japan	RCT	Sarcopenic obese with exercise and nutrition interventions	36 (0/36)	81 ± 4	Body fat (BIA) ≥ 32% and SMMI (BIA) < 5.67 kg/m2 or HGS < 17 kg or GS < 1 m/s.	Knee extensor force	Albumin; CRP; cystatin C; HDLc; IL‐6; leptin; total cholesterol; triglycerides; vitamin D (25OHD ‐ serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D); HbA1c
		Sarcopenic obese with exercise intervention	35 (0/35)	81 ± 4
		Sarcopenic obese with nutrition intervention	34 (0/34)	81 ± 5
		Sarcopenic obese with health education intervention	34 (0/34)	81 ± 5
Khanal et al. (2021) ³⁶ England/UK	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic obese	77 (0/77)	73	SMI (BIA) < 6.76 kg/m², HGS < 28.5 kg, body fat >38%	Knee extensor torque; muscle‐specific strength	Activin A receptor Type 1B (ACVR1B) rs2854464, rs10783485; alpha‐actinin‐3 (ACTN3) rs1815739; angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme (ACE) rs4341 (I/D); ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) rs1800169; ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF)R rs2070802; collagen Type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1) rs1800012; erythrocyte sedimentation rate 1 rs4870044; fat mass and obesity‐associated (FTO) rs9939609; hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) rs11549465; ID3 rs11574; IGF‐1 rs35767; IL‐6 rs1800795; methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801131, rs1537516, rs17421511; NOS 3 rs1800000; protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2) rs7843014, rs7460; the titin gene (TTN) rs10497520; thyrotropin‐releasing hormone receptor (TRHR) rs7832552; vitamin D receptor rs2228570
		Control obese	176 (0/176)	71	SMI (BIA) ≥ 6.76 kg/m², HGS ≥ 28.5 kg, body fat >38%
		Sarcopenic non obese	7 (0/7)	69	SMI (BIA) < 6.76 kg/m², HGS < 28.5 kg, body fat ≤38%
		Control (non‐Sarcopenic, non‐obese)	47 (0/47)	68	SMI (BIA) ≥ 6.76 kg/m², HGS ≥ 28.5 kg, body fat ≤38%
Lim et al. (2019) ³⁸ Singapore	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	26 (10/16)	70 ± 7	AWG (DEXA) (sarcopenic)	Knee extensor force	CRP; IL‐6; monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1; vitamin D (25OHD ‐ serum 25‐hydroxvitamin D)
		Control non‐obese	42 (19/23)	67 ± 7
		Sarcopenic obese	17 (2/15)	75 ± 10
		Obese control	102 (25/77)	67 ± 7
Lustosa et al. (2017) ³⁹ Brazil	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenia	31 (0/31)	77 ± 5	EWGSOP (DEXA) (sarcopenic)	Knee extensor power/torque	Soluble TNF‐alpha receptor‐1 (sTNFR1); IL‐6; TNF‐α
Lustosa et al. (2017) ³⁹ Brazil	Cross‐sectional	Control	32 (0/32)	77 ± 7		Knee extensor power/torque	Soluble TNF‐alpha receptor‐1 (sTNFR1); IL‐6; TNF‐α
Ma et al. (2021) ⁴⁰ China	Intervention	Waitlist control	12 (6/6)	70 ± 4	AWG (sarcopenic)	Knee extensor force	Annexin A6 (ANXA6); bridging integrator 1 (BIN1); eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit E (EIF3E); histidine triad nucleotide‐binding protein 1 (HINT1); interleukin 7 (IL‐7)R; lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB); leucine‐rich repeat protein 3 (LRRN3); lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1); musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma (MAF); protein kinase C theta (PRKCQ); RAS guanyl nucleotide‐releasing protein (RASGRP1); superoxide dismutase (SOD1); translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 7 (TOMM7)
		Exercise intervention	11 (5/6)	76 ± 7
		Exercise and nutritional intervention	23 (11/12)	74 ± 6
Nabuco et al. (2019) ⁴² Brazil	RCT	Sarcopenic obese with exercise and protein intervention	13 (0/13)	68 ± 4	Body fat (DEXA) ≥ 35% appendicular lean soft tissue (DEXA) ≤ 15.02 kg	Knee extensor force; lower soft tissue mass	Advanced oxidation protein products; albumin; CRP; creatine; glucose (fasted); HDLc; homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR); insulin; IL‐6; LDLc; total cholesterol; total radical‐trapping antioxidant parameter; triglycerides; TNF‐α
Nabuco et al. (2019) ⁴² Brazil	RCT	Sarcopenic obese with exercise and placebo	13 (0/13)	70 ± 4		Knee extensor force; lower soft tissue mass
Negaresh et al. (2019) ⁴³ Iran	RCT	Sarcopenic with resistance training	16 (16/0)	55–70	1–2 SD (mild) or >2 SD (severe) muscle mass below mean of healthy young group (skinfold)	Squat press force	Follistatin; IGF‐1; myostatin; testosterone
Negaresh et al. (2019) ⁴³ Iran	RCT	Control with resistance training	15 (15/0)	55–70		Squat press force	Follistatin; IGF‐1; myostatin; testosterone
Ratkevicius et al. (2011) ⁴⁵ Scotland/UK	Cross‐sectional	Mildly sarcopenic	20 (20/0)	69 ± 3	Maximal knee extension torque 1–2 SD below young men	Knee extensor torque; knee extensor voluntary activation	Follistatin; follistatin‐related gene; GDF‐associated serum protein‐1; IGF‐1; IL‐6; myostatin; testosterone; TNF‐α
Ratkevicius et al. (2011) ⁴⁵ Scotland/UK	Cross‐sectional	Severely sarcopenic	26 (26/0)	76 ± 6	Maximal knee extension torque 2 SD below young below young men	Knee extensor torque; knee extensor voluntary activation
Rossi et al. (2020) ⁴⁶ Italy	Longitudinal	Healthy	116 (43/73)	72 ± 2	ASMM (DEXA) > 7 kg/m² men, >5.18 kg^.m² women, body fat (DEXA) < 31.17% men, <44.01% women	Knee extensor torque	Albumin; fibrinogen; glucose; HDLc; total cholesterol; triglycerides; Vitamin D3
		Sarcopenia	68 (24/44)	72 ± 2	ASMM (DEXA) < 7 kg/m² men, <5.18 kg^.m² women, body fat (DEXA) < 31.17% men, <44.01% women
		Obese	68 (24/44)	72 ± 3	ASMM (DEXA) > 7 kg/m² men, >5.18 kg^.m² women, body fat (DEXA) > 31.17% men, >44.01% women
		Sarcopenic obese	22 (8/14)	71 ± 2	ASMM (DEXA) < 7 kg/m² men, <5.18 kg.m² women, body fat (DEXA) > 31.17% men, >44.01% women
Sanada et al. (2010) ⁴⁷ Japan	Cross‐sectional	Mildly sarcopenic	219 (63/156)	M: 65 ± 14	Class 1: SMMI 1SD below sex‐specific reference value (DEXA)	Leg extension power; lean soft tissue mass	Glucose; HDLc; LDLc; total cholesterol; total cholesterol/HDLc ratio; triglyceride/HDL ratio; triglycerides; HbA1c
		Mildly sarcopenic	219 (63/156)	F: 61 ± 11	Class 1: SMMI 1SD below sex‐specific reference value (DEXA)
		Severely sarcopenic	27 (5/22)	M: 67 ± 17	Class 2: SMMI 2SD below sex‐specific reference value (DEXA)
		Severely sarcopenic	27 (5/22)	F: 63 ± 11	Class 2: SMMI 2SD below sex‐specific reference value (DEXA)
		Control	713 (100/613)	M: 65 ± 8
		Control	713 (100/613)	F: 60 ± 9
Sanada et al. (2012) ⁴⁸ Japan	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	129 (0/129)	62 ± 1	Class 1: SMMI 6.7 kg/m² and HGS 1SD below young mean (DEXA)	Leg extension power	Glucose (fasted); HDLc; triglyceride/HDLc ratio; triglycerides; HbA1c
Sanada et al. (2012) ⁴⁸ Japan	Cross‐sectional	Control	404 (0/404)	53 ± 1		Leg extension power
Seo et al. (2020) ⁴⁹ Korea	Cross‐sectional	Sarcopenic	27 (0/27)	72 ± 4	Based on EWGSOP and IWGS (DEXA) ‐ GS < 1.0 m·s⁻¹ and ASMI < 5.67 kg·m⁻², or GS > 1.0 m·s⁻¹, HGS < 20 kg and ASM I < 5.67 kg·m²	Knee extension torque; relative knee extensor torque; thigh inter‐muscular adipose tissue volume; total thigh volume	Activin A; follistatin; GDF‐15; myostatin
Seo et al. (2020) ⁴⁹ Korea	Cross‐sectional	Non‐Sarcopenic	32 (0/32)	71 ± 5	Non‐sarcopenic (DEXA), body fat <35%, and lumbar or femur BMD T‐score <−2.5		Activin A; follistatin; GDF‐15; myostatin
Tay et al. (2018) ⁵⁰ Singapore	Cross‐sectional	Pre‐sarcopenic	14 (9/5)	72 ± 8	EWGSOP Asian gender‐specific cut‐off. Pre‐sarcopenia: Low muscle mass without impact on muscle strength or gait speed	Knee extensor force; muscle‐specific strength	APOE genotyping into APOEε2; 3; 4 isoforms; CRP; dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS); IGF‐1; IL‐6; soluble TNF‐alpha receptor‐1 (sTNFR1); TNF‐α; vitamin D (25OHD ‐ serum 25‐hydroxvitamin D)
		Sarcopenic	53 (18/35)	78 ± 7	EWGSOP Asian gender‐specific cut‐off (DEXA). Low muscle mass and weak HGS and/or slow GS
		Control	108 (11/97)	76 ± 6	EWGSOP Asian gender‐specific cut‐off (DEXA). Normal muscle mass
Vezzoli et al. (2019) ⁵¹ Italy	RCT	Sarcopenic with training	15 (6/9)	71 ± 3	Class 1: SMMI 1SD below young mean (BIA)	Stair‐climbing power; leg press force	8‐Isoprostane (8‐iso‐PGF2‐α); 8‐OH‐2‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OH0dG); creatinine; protein carbonyls; reactive oxygen species production rate; thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances; total antioxidant capacity
Vezzoli et al. (2019) ⁵¹ Italy	RCT	Sarcopenic non‐training	20 (10/10)	73 ± 6	Class 2: SMMI 2SD below young mean (BIA)	Stair‐climbing power; leg press force

ASMI, appendicular skeletal muscle index; ASMM, appendicular skeletal muscle mass; AWG, Asian Working Group Criteria; BIA, bioelectrical impedance analysis; BMD, bone mineral density; CRP, C‐reactive protein; CTX‐1 C‐terminal cross‐linking telopeptide of Type 1 collagen; DEXA, dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry; EWGSOP, European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People; GDF, growth/differentiation factor; GS, gait speed; HbA1c, whole‐blood glycated haemoglobin A1c; HDLc, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol; HGS, handgrip strength; IGF‐1, insulin‐like growth factor‐1; IL‐6, interleukin 6; IWGS, International Working Group on Sarcopenia; LDLc, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol; NOS, nitric oxide synthase; RCT, randomized controlled trial; SMMI, skeletal muscle mass index = (skeletal muscle mass/body mass) × 100; TNF‐α, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha; TRAP5b, tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase 5b.

Data presented as mean ± SD.