Does Lifelong Sports Participation Protect Against Sarcopenia? Prevalence, Diagnostic Criteria, and Sport-Specific Muscle Outcomes in Masters and Former Elite Athletes: A Scoping Review
Zuzanna Olszowiec, Katarzyna Kowalenko, Natalia Drobinska, Jan Szadkowski, Hanna Kasprzak, Yana Lavrenchuk et al. · Quality in Sport · 2026
Background: Sarcopenia is defined by progressive reductions in skeletal muscle mass and strength, with diagnostic frameworks differing in the weight assigned to strength, muscle quantity, and physical performance. The degree of protection afforded by lifelong sport, and whether protection differs between endurance, strength, power, and mixed sports, remains uncertain.
Aim: To map evidence on the prevalence of sarcopenia, diagnostic criteria applied, and sport-specific muscle outcomes in masters athletes and former elite athletes. Material and
Methods: A scoping review framework informed by JBI guidance and PRISMA-ScR was used. PubMed/MEDLINE, Europe PMC, and citation chaining were searched for English-language studies involving competitive masters athletes, lifelong exercisers, former elite athletes, or former Olympians aged 40 years or older. Eligible studies reported sarcopenia diagnoses or at least one relevant domain.
Results: Athlete-focused studies consistently showed a lower prevalence of confirmed sarcopenia than that reported in community-dwelling older populations. Strength and sprint athletes generally displayed greater appendicular lean mass, maximal strength, rate of force development, and preservation of type II fibres than endurance athletes. Lifelong endurance training was associated with low adiposity, superior aerobic capacity, favourable muscle oxidative characteristics, and in several studies preserved muscle quality, but it did not fully prevent lower muscle mass, motor-unit loss, or age-related reductions in power. Continued training after elite retirement appeared more important than historical athletic status alone.
Conclusions: Lifelong sports participation substantially shifts the muscle-ageing trajectory and lowers the likelihood of clinical sarcopenia, but it does not make athletes biologically immune to age-related neuromuscular decline.