Archives of gerontology and geriatricsMay 22, 2023

Links between muscle loss, diet, and gut bacteria in older Chinese women living in the community

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.20% among 276 female participants.

Sarcopenic patients showed significantly lower intake of dietary protein, fat, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals.
Richness of gut microbiota, as measured by Chao1 and ACE indexes, was considerably reduced in sarcopenic individuals.
Specific gut bacteria and their metabolites were decreased in sarcopenic patients, including Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, Agathobacter, Dorea, and Butyrate, while Shigella and Bacteroides were enriched.
Agathobacter and Acetate were positively correlated with grip strength and gait speed, while Bifidobacterium was negatively correlated with grip strength and appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI).
Protein intake was positively related to the presence of Bifidobacterium.

Simplified

BACKGROUND: The relationship among gut microbiota, sarcopenia components, and influencing factors in female sarcopenic patients has been poorly investigated.

METHODS: Female participants completed questionnaires of physical activity and dietary frequency and were assessed for the presence of sarcopenia by the Asian Working Group of Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria. Fecal samples were collected from 17 sarcopenia and 30 non-sarcopenia subjects for 16S sequencing and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) detection.

RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.20% among 276 participants. The dietary protein, fat, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, niacin, vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, and cooper intake of sarcopenia were all remarkably low. In addition, the richness of gut microbiota (Chao1 and ACE indexes) was considerably reduced in sarcopenic patients, and the sarcopenic gut microbiota and its metabolite were decreased in Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, Agathobacter, Dorea and Butyrate and were enriched in Shigella and Bacteroides. Correlation analysis showed that Agathobacter and Acetate were positively correlated with grip strength and gait speed, respectively, and Bifidobacterium was negatively correlated with grip strength and appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI). Moreover, the protein intake was positively related to Bifidobacterium.

CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study revealed the alterations of gut microbiota composition, SCFA, and nutrient intake in women with sarcopenia and their relation to sarcopenic components. These results provide insights into further studies on the role of nutrition and gut microbiota in sarcopenia and its use as a therapeutic approach.

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Links between muscle loss, diet, and gut bacteria in older Chinese women living in the community

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