Association between physical activity patterns and sarcopenia in Arab men

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to examine the association between physical activity patterns and sarcopenia in Arab men. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 363 men (47.7 ± 15.4 years). We analyzed appendicular lean mass (ALM), handgrip strength test, and physical activity levels. ALM divided by height (meters) squared was calculated (ALM/Ht(2)), and participants with −1 and −2 standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for Saudi young adults were considered to have sarcopenia class I and class II, respectively. Independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and Mann–Whitney U tests were performed to determine mean and median differences. RESULTS: We observed a significant difference between participants with and without sarcopenia in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); the correlation between ALM/H(2) and MVPA was borderline significant. With a 1-hour/week increase in MVPA, ALM/Ht(2) increased by 0.30 kg/m(2). Total and ALM, handgrip strength, and MVPA were significantly lower in participants age >60 years; fat mass and waist circumference were unchanged as compared with middle-aged participants. CONCLUSIONS: We identified an association between time spent in recreational MVPA and lean muscle mass among Arab men. Future studies should examine the role of MVPA training programs on muscle mass and strength in older men.