To prevent "post-COVID-19 sarcopenia", you must supplement these two nutrients! Nutritionist: Identify the 5 common symptoms of sarcopenia

After being infected with COVID-19, you may suddenly lose a lot of weight and become extremely thin, and your hand grip strength and walking speed may become significantly worse. Be careful, this may be post-COVID-19 sarcopenia! Nutritionists remind us to pay attention to the five major signs of sarcopenia, take in two major nutrients, and conduct a one-minute self-test to detect sarcopenia early and prevent it from getting worse.

It is estimated that more than 3 million people in Taiwan suffer from "post-COVID-19 sarcopenia"

According to a systematic literature review published in the journal "Frontiers in Nutrition" in July 2022, the probability of developing sarcopenia after being diagnosed with COVID-19 is approximately 48%. If we consider that there are currently 7 million people diagnosed with the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, it is estimated that more than 3 million people may have "post-COVID-19 sarcopenia."

Sarcopenia can cause many adverse consequences. It not only affects the reduction of muscle mass and the decline of muscle function, but also causes physical weakness and mobility problems in the elderly, and increases the risk of falls, cognitive dysfunction and other disability problems. In severe cases, it can even cause death. In particular, as the elderly age, they will experience more or less muscle loss. If sarcopenia worsens, accidentally falling will be a big deal. Not only will it be difficult for the elderly to recover, but the younger generations at home who are taking care of them will also have to work harder!

If the elders in your family have "bird feet" or "chopstick legs", you should be aware that cardiomyopathy may have come to you!

How do you know if you have sarcopenia? Nutritionist Yang Tingyi said that if the elders in your family have "bird feet" or "chopstick legs", they may have cardiomyopathy! Let’s first understand the 5 common symptoms of sarcopenia:

[Five common symptoms of sarcopenia]:

1. Insufficient upper limb muscle strength:

The main symptom is a decrease in grip strength, for example, cans cannot be opened or towels cannot be wrung dry. Also, being unable to lift heavy objects causes troubles in life.

2. Difficulty walking:

The thigh muscles are obviously weak, and even the walking speed is less than 1 meter per second, which is a major warning sign of sarcopenia.

3. Mobility difficulties:

In addition to slow movements, it is very difficult for him to get up from a chair or bed in daily life, and he has to rely on others for support or use handrails to get up.

4. Weight loss:

If you are not deliberately losing weight, but you lose weight rapidly for unknown reasons, especially if you lose more than 5% in half a year, you should pay special attention.

5. Repeated falls:

Even walking on flat ground can cause you to fall. If you fall more than 4 times in a row within a year, it means that you are at high risk of developing sarcopenia.

Rapidly detect sarcopenia risk in 1 minute!

Wrap your hands around your calves. If there is still space after wrapping your hands around your calves, it means you have a high risk of sarcopenia. If you just manage to make it to the circle, or if you feel a little tired, the risk of sarcopenia is low, so please continue to maintain it.

To prevent sarcopenia, we must start by delaying muscle loss. Nutritionist Yang Tingyi said that in addition to exercise, proper nutritional supplementation can make the prevention of sarcopenia more effective.

Vitamin D deficiency is also thought to be associated with sarcopenia!

Principle 1: Increase protein intake

It is recommended that the elderly can increase their protein intake to 1.5g/kg/d, or use their hands as a scale and eat a palm-sized amount of protein at each meal to be qualified!

In addition, you can supplement with foods rich in leucine, such as meat, soy products (tofu, soy milk), fresh milk, etc. Leucine has been found to increase muscle synthesis and improve mobility in the elderly.

Principle 2: Vitamin D should be supplemented

Vitamin D deficiency is also thought to be associated with sarcopenia! Living in a subtropical to tropical country, the sun is at our fingertips. We don’t even need to spend money on supplements. We can get plenty of vitamin D by getting 20-30 minutes of sun exposure every day.

However, there will occasionally be days with continuous rain and no sunshine. At this time, you can also supplement it with sun-dried mushrooms, eggs, and milk fortified with vitamin D.