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Adults lose muscle with age—researchers found an unexpected health risk
The gradual loss of muscle that often comes with aging may do more than make everyday tasks harder.
Known as sarcopenia, the condition is already linked to frailty and a higher risk of death.
Now, a new study suggests it could also leave people more vulnerable to serious infections.
people with sarcopenia faced a significantly higher long-term risk of infections than those with healthy muscle function.
The elevated risk extended to respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections, and sepsis.
The study, published in MedScience, followed participants for a median of more than 12 years, making it one of the largest investigations yet into the relationship between muscle health and infection risk.
Researchers found a graded pattern: people with low muscle mass were at increased risk of infection, while those with more advanced sarcopenia faced an even greater risk.
Professor Arshad Rather, a consultant geriatrician at Medical Express Clinic who was not involved in the research, said many people mistakenly assume significant muscle loss is simply an unavoidable part of getting older.
“Losing some muscle with age is common, but becoming weak enough to affect daily life is not inevitable,” Rather told Newsweek.
He said the earliest warning signs are often subtle.
“Getting out of a chair without using your arms becomes harder,” Rather said. “Stairs take longer. You struggle with jars, luggage or heavy shopping bags. You may walk more slowly, feel more tired, or notice clothes fitting differently even though your weight has not changed much.”
According to Rather, sarcopenia can affect people who appear to have a healthy weight, as muscle tissue can gradually be replaced by fat.
The study’s findings add weight to a growing body of evidence suggesting that muscle plays an important role in immune health.
While muscles are best known for movement, they also function as an endocrine organ, releasing signaling molecules called myokines that help regulate immune responses and inflammation.
Muscle also acts as a reserve of amino acids that the body can draw upon during periods of illness or physiological stress.
Researchers proposed several mechanisms that might explain the association.
Reduced muscle mass could impair the production of immune-regulating myokines, limit the availability of amino acids needed by immune cells, and contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation that weakens the body’s defenses.
Rather said the biological explanation is plausible.
“Muscle is not just for movement,” he said. “It helps regulate inflammation and acts as a reserve of amino acids the body uses when fighting infection. When muscle mass and strength fall, that reserve shrinks.”
He noted that the new findings showed people with sarcopenia faced a substantially higher risk of infections over time, including respiratory infections and sepsis.
However, he cautioned that the research demonstrates an association rather than proving that muscle loss directly causes infections.
Still, experts said there are good reasons to protect muscle health as people age.
Rather pointed to resistance training and adequate protein intake as the most effective evidence-based strategies.
“The best evidence for slowing it is still practical: regular resistance exercise two to three times a week, using weights, bands or supervised strength training, plus enough protein spread across the day,” he said.
He added that maintaining strength earlier in life may provide a valuable buffer against future illness.
“The key message is to start before a crisis,” Rather said. “Maintaining strength in your 50s and 60s gives you more reserve for illness, surgery, and recovery later in life.”
Reference
Meng Gao, Bolong Liu, Hequn Chen, Zewu Zhu, Juliet Matsika, Minghui Liu, Jiao Hu, Xiaogen Kuang, Jinbo Chen. Association of sarcopenia with the long-term risk of overall infections and infectious diseases: a prospective cohort study of 458 332 participants. MedScience, 2026, 20 (2) : 345-357 DOI:10.1007/s11684-026-1224-0.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Emma Lee-Sang
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