Preprint · Jul 23, 2026
Muscle Quality Map: Colombian Map of Sarcopenia and Frailty. Multidimensional assessment of strength, function and muscle quality for the identification of sarcopenia and frailty in older adults
By Jerez‐Mayorga D, Santamaría JG, Cardona HMG
Population ageing in Colombia is advancing rapidly: the national statistics office (DANE) projects that by 2035 more than 15% of the population will be over 60 years of age, a phenomenon that is especially marked in the Coffee Axis (Eje Cafetero) region. In this context, sarcopenia (the progressive loss of muscle mass, strength and function) and frailty (a syndrome of physiological vulnerability) are prevalent conditions that increase the risk of falls, hospitalisation, functional dependence and mortality, placing a growing burden on the health and social-care system and on families. The problem is twofold. First, early diagnosis relies on costly equipment and on reference values derived from foreign populations that do not reflect the anthropometric, physical or socioeconomic characteristics of the Risaralda population. Second, it is unknown to what extent the setting of residence (urban vs. rural) modulates muscle quality and frailty risk, even though older adults in the two settings differ in physical activity, occupation, access to health services, nutrition and exposure to risk factors. The conceptual core is muscle quality, understood as a multidimensional construct that integrates a morphological dimension (strength relative to body mass and muscle architecture assessed by ultrasound: thickness and echo-intensity) and a functional dimension (power, contraction velocity and rate of force development, RFD). Power and RFD decline earlier and more markedly than maximal strength with ageing, and echo-intensity is a sensitive marker of early deterioration, frequently more informative than muscle thickness alone. The linear encoder and the force platform allow objective, portable and low-cost quantification of variables that traditionally required laboratory isokinetic dynamometry (force–velocity and power–velocity profiles, the Dynamic Strength Index and Reactive Strength Index, and bilateral asymmetries); handgrip dynamometry retains its role as the EWGSOP2-recommended screening test, and B-mode ultrasound provides the morphological dimension at the community level. The Muscle quality Map project proposes a multidimensional assessment of muscle quality using a low-cost, high-precision protocol, in order to identify sarcopenia and frailty according to international criteria, to establish population reference values specific to the region, and to generate risk profiles oriented towards prevention, thereby contributing to health equity, regional scientific sovereignty, and early detection that helps reduce functional dependence.