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Abstract Background Sarcopenia, defined as an age‐associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is a major risk factor for requiring long‐term care. Because physical activity in adolescence and older age enhances peak muscle function in youth and prevents muscle function decline in older age, older adults with exercise habits during both periods may be at a lower risk for sarcopenia. We investigated the relationship between exercise habits in adolescence and older age and sarcopenia and its components in community‐dwelling older Japanese adults. Methods This study included 1607 community‐dwelling individuals (aged 65–84, medians 73 years, 679 men and 928 women) with complete health examinations, including measurements of skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength and gait speed, who were enrolled in the Bunkyo Health Study. We divided the participants into four groups according to exercise habits in adolescence and older age: no exercise in either period (none‐none; NN), exercise only in adolescence (active‐none; AN), exercise only in older age (none‐active; NA) and exercise in both periods (active‐active; AA). Multivariate‐adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in each group for the prevalence of sarcopenia, defined as low muscle mass and low muscle performance, as compared with the NN group. Low muscle performance was defined as low muscle strength and/or low gait speed. Results The total prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.6% (45/679) in men and 1.7% (16/928) in women, the total prevalence of low muscle mass was 14.3% (97/679) in men and 5.2% (48/928) in women, and the total prevalence of low muscle performance was 25.6% (174/679) in men and 19.6% (182/928) in women. In men, the ORs (95% CIs) for sarcopenia, low muscle mass and low muscle performance were significantly lower in the AA group (sarcopenia: 0.29 [0.09–0.95], P = 0.041; low muscle mass: 0.21 [0.09–0.52], P = 0.001; and low muscle performance: 0.52 [0.28–0.97], P = 0.038). In women, the OR (95% CI) for low muscle performance was significantly lower in the AA group than in the other groups (0.48 [0.27–0.84], P = 0.010), whereas none of the ORs for sarcopenia and low muscle mass were significant. Conclusions Older men with exercise habits in both adolescence and older age were at a lower risk of sarcopenia, low muscle mass and low muscle performance, whereas older women with exercise habits at both time periods were at a lower risk of low muscle performance.

Abstract Background Sarcopenia is a major cause of disability in the elderly. Although type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for increased sarcopenia, the relationship between prediabetes and sarcopenia has not been elucidated. We aimed to examine the relationship between sarcopenia and prediabetes. Methods The design of this study is a cross‐sectional study. We evaluated glucose metabolism using the 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test and glycated haemoglobin, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, and hand grip strength in 1629 older adults living in an urban area of Tokyo, Japan. We investigated the frequency of sarcopenia in participants with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), prediabetes and diabetes. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between glucose tolerance and the prevalence of sarcopenia. Results The mean age of participants was 73.1 ± 5.4 years. In men, 44.3% had NGT, 26.6% had prediabetes, and 29.1% had diabetes. In women, the distribution was 56.1%, 28.8% and 15.2%. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 12.7% in men and 11.9% in women. Logistic regression revealed that prediabetes and diabetes are independent risk factors for sarcopenia in men (prediabetes, odds ratio [OR] = 2.081 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.031–4.199]; diabetes, OR = 2.614 [95% CI: 1.362–5.018]) and diabetes, but not prediabetes, is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia in women (prediabetes, OR = 1.036 [95% CI: 0.611–1.757]; diabetes, OR = 2.099 [95% CI: 1.146–3.844]). In both sexes, higher age (men, OR = 1.086 [95% CI: 1.028–1.146]; women, OR = 1.195 [95% CI: 1.142–1.251]), higher body fat percentage (men, OR = 1.346 [95% CI: 1.240–1.461]; women, OR = 1.218 [95% CI: 1.138–1.303]) and lower body mass index (men, OR = 0.371 [95% CI: 0.299–0.461]; women, OR = 0.498 [95% CI: 0.419–0.593]) were independent risk factors for sarcopenia. Conclusions Although we confirmed that diabetes mellitus is associated with sarcopenia in both sexes, prediabetes is associated with sarcopenia in men, but not in women.