Investigation of individuals with sarcopenia in terms of muscle strength, balance and proprioception

The aim of this study, which was performed on sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic individuals according to the EWGSOP2 criteria, is to objectively examine the effects of sarcopenia, which is an important health problem, on strength, balance and proprioception. 25 sarcopenic and 20 non-sarcopenic individuals aged 65 and over participated in the study. Demographic information of the participants was obtained, their diseases, operation history, drugs they used and the number of falls in the last year were noted. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) scores were calculated. After the balance measurements on the adjustable platform setup (Biodex Balance System SD), proprioception and strength measurements of the knee extensor and flexor muscles at 60°/s were made on the isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex Humac NORM). Statistical analyses were done with IBM SPSS 20 software and the level of significance was determined as p<0.05. It was determined that sarcopenic individuals were older and shorter. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of weight and body mass index. It was determined that sarcopenic individuals had lower hand grip strength, muscle mass, physical performance values, PASE score, peak torque of flexor and extensor muscles of both extremities, peak torque relative to body weight and their proprioception errors were higher. No significant difference was found in terms of balance, number of drugs, number of falls in the last year and CCI. As a result of the correlation analysis performed in all of the participants (n=45), a correlation was observed between strength and balance, balance and proprioception, and strength and proprioception. In conclusion, in our study, it was observed that sarcopenic individuals were negatively affected in terms of strength and proprioception. We think that exercise programs to be carried out on these functional parameters in the sarcopenic individuals will be beneficial.