MUSCLE MASS: YOUR BEST DEFENSE AGAINST SEVERE ILLNESS

Skeletal muscle makes up 40% of body weight and contains between 50% and 75% of the body’s protein. It is one of the most dynamic tissues in the human body and plays a key role in a wide range of metabolic and mechanical processes.

Loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) is a predisposing factor for disease and cardiovascular mortality. It is associated with blockage of the coronary arteries (which supply blood to the heart). The harmful effects of sarcopenia are related to systemic inflammation, regulated by a network of anti-inflammatory mediators released by skeletal muscle. Adequate muscle mass provides protection against cerebrovascular events, especially in people over 70 years of age.

Skeletal muscle is the main site for utilizing glucose obtained through the diet. Sarcopenia contributes to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. The combination of low muscle mass and obesity, known as sarcopenic obesity, is particularly pro-inflammatory and metabolically harmful.

Physical exercise—especially resistance training (weightlifting)—is a powerful anabolic stimulus that enhances the effects of dietary protein. It sensitizes the muscle’s contractile machinery to the presence of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), promoting muscle growth.

Disuse atrophy, which mainly affects the limbs due to a sedentary lifestyle, contributes to anabolic resistance to protein synthesis from food. This anabolic resistance, a common feature of aging, becomes worse during critical illness.

Critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units may lose up to 15% of their muscle mass during the first week, at an average rate of 2% per day. This leads to a high risk of muscle weakness, respiratory failure due to diaphragmatic atrophy, longer hospital stays, and a lower chance of surviving a severe illness.

Skeletal muscle health parameters (such as muscle mass percentage and quality) at the time of ICU admission have a significant impact on treatment outcomes and recovery potential. Sarcopenia related to aging and sedentary lifestyles significantly worsens these risks.

DR. JAVIER BENJAMÍN ZATARAIN GUERRERO

Internist with a Subspecialty in Critical Care and Intensive Therapy

Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Critical Care

Location: Intensive Care Unit, Almater Hospital

Suite 203, Almater Specialty Tower

Appointments: (686) 552 3162 – WhatsApp: (686) 221 3006

Email: doctorzat@hotmail.com