Muscle quality linked to cognitive health in middle age

In the past decade, a lot of research has aimed at the relationship between the health of skeletal muscles and cognitive impairment. Scientists have discovered that sarcopenia, a geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, seems to be strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia. The complex relationship between our muscles and the health of the brain is a promising limit in preventive medicine, in particular as the worldwide populations continue to agree.

To date, however, most studies into the relationship between muscle health and dementia have predominantly targeted older populations or people who have already been diagnosed with cognitive disorders. How muscle parameters relate to cognitive function in wider populations therefore remains largely underexposed. This applies in particular to middle-aged people who can be in the earliest stages of cognitive decline that most likely benefit from early interventions.

In a recent paper made available online on May 8, 2025, and published in part 16, number 3 of the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Spier On 1 June 2025, a research team led by postdoctoral researcher Kentaro Ikeue of Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Doshisha University, Japan, tackled this knowledge gap. They conducted a cross-sectional study in which 263 participants of the general Japanese population were involved and tried to answer a critical question: which indices include the skeletal muscle quantity, quality and strength best reflect cognitive decline in persons older than 40 years? The study became the co-author of professor Kojiro Ishii of the Doshisha University and professor Noriko Satoh-Asahara of the NHO Kyoto Medical Center.

The most important sarcopenia-related indices include appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) through height, ASM by Body Mass Index, Handgrip strength (HGS), HGS through upper extremity skeletal muscle mass and phase angle (PHA). To clarify, the latter refers to a bio -electric impedance measurement that reflects cellular integrity and muscle quality. The researchers analyzed how these indices correlated with the cognitive function, assessed using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA-J). This extensive tool evaluates several cognitive domains, including memory, attention, language and executive function.

Interestingly, PHA emerged as the most important measure. “We have established that a higher phase angle is associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive disorders in women“Explained Dr. Ikue,”Moreover, a higher phase angle was linked to a better memory for both men and women, which is especially remarkable, because memorial decline is often the earliest manifestation of cognitive impairment.“

The researchers noticed interesting sex -based differences in their findings. While PHA correlated with several cognitive domains in women, including memory, language, language function and attention was mainly associated with memory function in men. This suggests that the relationship between muscle quality and cognitive function can follow different patterns in men and women, possibly influenced by hormonal differences or other sex -specific factors.

These results have important implications for public health practices, which suggests that assessment of muscle quality in clinical or routine controls can help identify people with an increased risk of cognitive decline. According to the research team, measuring phase angle, which is quick and convenient, could become a standard component of annual health investigations, offering valuable early warning signals for various disorders. “Our findings suggest that phase angle is not only useful for assessing sarcopenia, but also if a potential marker serves for early cognitive decline,‘Noted Dr. Ikee.

By helping people identify with decreasing muscle quality, caregivers may be able to initiate interventions, such as targeted exercise programs or food strategies-cognitive symptoms arise. “Adopting personal behavior aimed at improving muscle quality can serve as a preventive measure against dementia, especially in women,“Dr. Ikeue added,”Our study therefore contributes to the development of innovative strategies to prevent both sarcopenia and dementia within the general population. “

In general, this work is an important step forward in understanding the complex relationships between muscle health and cognitive function during adulthood, not in later years.