Assessing muscle strength following massive weight loss: a preliminary study in patients who desired body contouring surgery

Sarcopenia, which is commonly associated with ageing, is increasingly prevalent among individuals with significant obesity and massive weight loss (MWL). This study aimed to evaluate the muscle strength of MWL patients who desired body contouring surgery (BCS) due to the excess skin. This prospective study enrolled 23 patients with MWL who were eligible for BCS. Participants underwent three distinct muscle strength tests with age- and gender-related references: the hand grip strength test (HGS), the squatting test, and the dynamic muscle strength of the body (DMSoB). The cohort comprised 18 (78.3%) women and five (21.8%) men with a mean age of 45.7 years and body mass index (BMI) of 26.9 kg/m². Among the participants, 17 (73.9%) had previously undergone bariatric surgery (BS group), while six (26.1%) had achieved weight loss through the non-surgery method (non-BS-group). In the HGS test, 87% of the participants reached only the lowest (poor) or second lowest (fair) fitness levels. In the squatting test, 73.8% of the participants reached above the intermediate level or better. Only 8.7% of the participants had a lower fitness level. In the dynamic muscle strength test, 69.7% of the participants reached the lowest (poor) level. This preliminary study showed that patients with prior MWL exhibited lower muscle strength than the age- and gender-matched general population. In particular, the HGS results suggested the possibility of sarcopenia.