Sarcopenia is a progressive, generalized skeletal muscle disorder that may cause adverse health outcomes. Its etiology includes aging, disease burden, inactivity, and loss of food intake. Diagnostic criteria include measuring muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance. Generally, a combination of nutritional and exercise interventions seems the most promising approach for treating sarcopenia.

People with disabilities, for example, patients after a stroke, hip fracture, or critical illness, are particularly vulnerable to sarcopenia. This condition occurs in ~40% of stroke survivors, and half of hip fracture patients, and it is associated with worse functional recovery in these patients. After critical illness, ~55% of patients suffer intensive care unit–acquired weakness. Several intervention studies using oral nutritional supplements or dietary counseling have been conducted to alleviate sarcopenia in these patients. However, the effects on muscle and functional outcomes have not been conclusive.

There are challenges in measuring muscle quantity and quality in patients with disabilities. Although some methods, such as D3-creatine and ultrasonography, can potentially be applied for muscle mass measurement in these patients, further validation is needed before using these methods in a clinical setting.