Evidence mapPaperPMID 41269489Full record

SynthesisAging clinical and experimental research2025

Effect of host and gut microbiota-altering interventions on sarcopenia or its defining parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis of nutrition-based intervention studies.

Laurence Lapauw, Nadjia Amini, Emiel Switsers, Jolan Dupont, Laura Vercauteren, Muriel Derrien, Jeroen Raes, Evelien Gielen

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Links between bone fractures and the gut microbiota.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Laurence LapauwDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. laurence.lapauw@kuleuven.be.
Nadjia AminiDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Emiel SwitsersFaculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Jolan DupontDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Laura VercauterenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Muriel DerrienDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Jeroen RaesDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Evelien GielenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo investigate effects of host- and gut microbiota (GM)-altering interventions on sarcopenia (parameters).

methodsUpon PROSPERO registration (CRD42022347363), six databases and one registry were searched until January 5th 2024 and updated on June 10th 2025 for diet, pre-, pro-, or synbiotics mono-interventions in populations with mean age ≥ 50 years. (Standardized) mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using random-effects models if heterogeneity was > 50%. Risk of bias (Rob) & GRADE assessments were carried out to assess the evidence' quality and certainty.

resultsThe qualitative analysis included 38 diet, 13 prebiotics, 11 probiotics and 1 synbiotics studies, totaling 4842 participants (59%♀), mostly of high RoB. The quantitative analysis included 49 studies. Probiotics improved muscle strength by 1.90 kg and gait speed by 0.08 m/s. Fiber (whole-food)-enriched diets improved muscle strength with 1.25 kg and energy-restricted diets, aimed at weight loss, improved muscle mass if mean age was < 60 years and if the intervention lasted no longer than 12 weeks. High-protein diets improved muscle mass in women and if the intervention lasted at least 12 weeks. Studies involving participants with sarcopenia were only included in the qualitative analysis, since none provided sufficient data to allow a quantitative synthesis. DISCUSSION: Fiber (whole food)-enriched diets and probiotics improve muscle strength. The latter intervention also improves gait speed. High-protein diets improve muscle mass in women and with intervention durations ≥ 12 weeks. Future studies should include fecal sampling to assess whether GM modulate the observed effects.

conclusionSpecific diets and probiotics offer potential to improve sarcopenia parameters.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal MicrobiomeSarcopeniaAgedDietFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle StrengthPrebioticsProbioticsSynbioticsPrebioticsDietsMeta-analysisPrebioticsProbioticsSarcopeniaSynbiotics

Identifiers

PMID41269489
PMCPMC12775033

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.