Static one-leg standing balance test as a screening tool for low muscle mass in healthy elderly women.

Background: Identification of simple screening tools for detecting lower skeletal muscle mass may be beneficial for planning effective interventions in the elderly.

Aims: We aimed to (1) establish a threshold for one-leg standing balance test (OLST) time for low muscle mass, and (2) test the ability of that threshold to assess muscular impairments in a poor balance group.

Methods: Eyes-open OLST (maximum duration 30 s) was performed with right and left legs in 291 women (age 71 ± 6 years). OLST time was calculated as the sum of the OLST time of right and left legs. Fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), fat mass, biceps brachii and vastus lateralis sizes; handgrip strength (HGS), elbow flexion maximum torque (MVC) and knee extension maximum torque (MVC) were measured. Muscle quality was calculated as MVC/FFM and physical activity was assessed by questionnaire. Low muscle mass was defined as SMM of 22.1%, a previously established threshold for pre-sarcopenia.

Results: The OLST threshold time to detect low muscle mass was 55 s (sensitivity: 0.63; specificity: 0.60). The poor balance group (OLST < 55 s) had higher fat mass (3.0%, p < 0.001), larger VL thickness (5.1%, p = 0.016), and lower HGS (- 10.2%, p < 0.001), MVC (- 8.2%, p = 0.003), MVC (- 9.5%, p = 0.012), MVC/FFM (- 11.0%, p = 0.004) and physical activity (- 8.0%, p = 0.024) compared to the normal balance group. While after adjusting age, the differences exist for HGS, fat mass and VL thickness only.

Discussion: An OLST threshold of 55 s calculated as the summed score from both legs discriminated pre-sarcopenic characteristics among active, community-dwelling older women with limited potential (sensitivity 0.63, specificity 0.60).

Conclusion: OLST, which can be performed easily in community settings without the need for more complex muscle mass measurement, may help identify women at risk of developing sarcopenia.