Differences in lower limb muscle strength and balance ability between sarcopenia stages depend on sex in community-dwelling older adults

Aim This study aimed to compare motor function between sarcopenia stages with respect to sex in community-dwelling older adults. Methods The participants, comprising 2107 community-dwelling older adults (738 men and 1369 women), were classified into 4 groups and the groups were operationally defined—normal, low muscle mass, low physical function, and sarcopenia groups. Lower limb muscle strength and balance ability were assessed for evaluating motor function. To compare motor function between sarcopenia stages, an analysis of covariance adjusted for age and body mass index was performed. Results Lower limb muscle strengths were significantly lower not only in the sarcopenia group but also in the low muscle mass and low physical function groups than that in the normal group in both men and women. Low hip abductor muscle strength was observed in the low physical function group compared to the low muscle mass group in women, but not in men. Timed Up and Go test results in the sarcopenia and low function groups was lower than in the normal and low muscle mass groups for men and women. One-leg standing in the low physical function group was lower than that in the normal group, only for women. Conclusions Reduced motor function was observed not only in older people with sarcopenia but also in older people with only low muscle mass or low physical function, and the decline in lower limb muscle strength and balance ability in the low function group were greater in older women than in older men.