Relationship between body water distribution and sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of observational studies
PubMed 41572155 · doi:10.1186/s11556-026-00402-4
What was done
This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the relationship between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived body water distribution (intracellular water, extracellular water, and total body water) and sarcopenia in older adults. Included studies were observational, and their methodological quality was evaluated using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) assessment tools.
What was found
From 16,056 identified records, 11 observational studies were included. Five studies evaluated the extracellular-to-total body water (ECW/TBW) ratio. The review found that higher ECW/TBW and extracellular-to-intracellular water (ECW/ICW) ratios were consistently associated with sarcopenia, lower muscle strength, loss of muscle mass, and impaired physical performance in older adults. Most studies were rated as having high methodological quality (scores above 70%). The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes, correlation values, or confidence intervals.
Why it matters
Monitoring fluid distribution ratios via bioelectrical impedance may provide an accessible, non-invasive indicator of muscle quality and sarcopenic status in older populations.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, pooled effect estimates, or total participant sample size across the included studies. All included studies were observational, preventing any determination of whether altered fluid distribution causes sarcopenia or results from it.
Cited by
- context The human body is approximately 70% water by content, with most of that water contained within cells and skeletal muscle mass.