Physical Activity Types and Sarcopenia Components Among Middle-Aged and Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sarcopenia is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality in older people, highlighting the need for effective prevention strategies. This study examined how different types of physical activity (PA) relate to sarcopenia and its components. We included 4849 participants (55.8% female, mean age 69.1 ± 8.7 years) from the Rotterdam Study. Sarcopenia was defined following the EWGSOP2 criteria using grip strength (GS) and DXA-derived appendicular lean mass (ALMI). Total PA and its types were categorized into low, moderate, and high tertiles. For activities with participation rates below 60%, the low group had no participation, while the remaining participants were split at the median. Probable sarcopenia was present in 559 (11.5%) participants, while 91 (1.9%) had confirmed sarcopenia. Compared with participants in the moderate PA group, those in the high PA group had lower odds of probable sarcopenia (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.54–0.90) and confirmed sarcopenia (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.18–0.75). Higher MET hours week⁻¹ from sports, cycling, or heavy-domestic work were associated with higher GS and ALMI. No cycling activity tripled the odds of sarcopenia (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.60–7.27), whereas the high cycling group showed no significant association compared with the moderate group. The low heavy domestic work group was associated with higher odds of probable sarcopenia compared with the moderate group (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01–1.96), whereas the high sports activity group had a reduced risk (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55–0.99). In this cross-sectional study, older adults who regularly engage in physical activity, particularly cycling, are less likely to have sarcopenia. Additionally, involvement in sports and heavy domestic work is associated with higher values of sarcopenia components.