Site-specific thigh muscle loss as an independent phenomenon for age-related muscle loss in middle-aged and older men and women.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-determined appendicular lean mass (aLM) and ultrasound-measured thigh muscle thickness (MTH) ratio and between aLM or thigh MTH ratio and zigzag walking performance. Eighty-one middle-aged and older adults (41 men and 40 women) aged 50 to 74 years volunteered for the study. Approximately two thirds of the subjects (34 men and 17 women) carried out regular sports activity (at least >2 times a week) including running and cycling exercise.

Skeletal muscle mass, bone mineral density, and walking performance in masters cyclists.

Exercise mode and intensity/duration are important factors for influencing muscle morphology and function as well as bone. However, it is unknown whether masters cyclists who undergo regular moderate- to high-intensity exercise maintain lower-body skeletal muscle mass (SM) and function and bone health when compared with young adults. The purpose of this study was to compare SM, areal bone mineral density (aBMD), and gait performance between masters cyclists and young adults.