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Lee Weidauer, associate professor in South Dakota State University's School of Health and Consumer Sciences, has received a $1,091,218 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's to develop an exercise and nutrition program to reduce the risk of sarcopenia.

"The goal of this proposal is to improve physical function to allow independence and increased health span for women above the age of 50, while eliminating the barriers of accessibility," Weidauer said.

Beginning at age 30, the body will naturally start to lose muscle mass. Some people will lose as much as 3-5% of muscle mass per decade. Even those who are active will have at least some muscle loss and if muscle loss worsens, it can advance to a condition known as , per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sarcopenia can cause people to have trouble with daily activities, like walking up a set of stairs, and affects between 10-20% of older adults — although that number is likely low because sarcopenia often goes undiagnosed.

While sarcopenia affects both men and women, previous research has shown that women are more vulnerable to this condition than men. This is primarily due to biological differences, such as lower peak muscle mass, in comparison to men.

The project aims to develop and implement an Extension-delivered, community-based, virtual sarcopenia risk reduction program. The five-year study proposes focusing on women ages 50 to 70 years living in six states and one district: South Dakota, Iowa, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Arkansas, New York and Washington, D.C.

The program will be developed by Weidauer, an exercise scientist, who has a diverse background of training with aging populations. Previously, his lab has utilized densitometry, body composition and muscle function testing to assess musculoskeletal health both observationally and as part of clinical trials.

Marni Shoemaker, assistant processor in ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ's School of Health and Human Sciences, is a registered dietitian and will oversee the nutrition and physical intervention sessions for the program.

"Both nutrition and physical activity are essential for healthy aging, making an interdisciplinary approach very important for the success of this program," Shoemaker said. "We are utilizing evidence-based guidelines to build a physical activity and nutrition education program that is feasible and accessible to a large range of individuals, while also providing foundational knowledge about how nutrition and physical activity are key parts of reducing risk of sarcopenia outcomes."

The program, named "StrengthenHER," will provide 32 hours of direct intervention, promotional materials, training materials and a canvas course housing all the program's materials.

"We hypothesize the intervention will lower sarcopenia risks or severity among participants, through improved protein intake and increased physical activity" Weidauer said.

Other expected outcomes of the program include improved nutritional status, dietary intake, quality of life, socialization and physical activity.

"Faculty in the School of Health and Human Sciences are committed to addressing critical health challenges, such as sarcopenia, and improving quality of life through innovative approaches," said Jessica Meendering, director for the School of Health and Human Sciences. "Dr. Weidauer's interdisciplinary approach and collaboration with national partners to assist older adults retain muscle mass demonstrates the impactful, people centered research being conducted within our school."

Other universities partnering on the project include the University of Rhode Island, Iowa State University, New York University, the University of Arkansas, West Virginia University and the University of the District of Columbia.