Sarcopenia - the loss of muscle mass and strength - is one of the greatest threats to independence and quality of life in the elderly. It delays rehabilitation after hospitalizations and increases the risk of falls, fractures and mortality. New findings show that the gut-muscle axis plays a key role: gut dysbiosis affects inflammation, energy metabolism and muscle building.

Multi-omics makes this crosstalk visible and offers clinicians biomarkers for early detection, recovery monitoring and personalized rehabilitation strategies.

The clinical problem

• Sarcopenia occurs in up to 30% of the elderly and in many patients after ICU admission or major surgery.
• Classical measurements (DEXA, hand squeeze force) detect loss only at a late stage.
• Patients with sarcopenia are more likely to have a disrupted microbiome profile and higher inflammatory markers(Wang et al., Microb Pathog 2024).
• Hosseini et al, J Diabetes Complications 2025: sarcopenic obesity is associated with lower Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia levels.

Multi-omics insights into the gut-muscle axis

1. Intestinal dysbiosis and muscle function
   - Li et al, Front Nutr 2024: microbial diversity affects muscle mass and strength in the elderly.
2. Clinical trial evidence
   - Lee et al, Nutrients 2025: double-blind RCT showed that probiotics (PS23) improve muscle strength and inflammatory markers in the elderly.
3. Mitochondrial protection
   - Zhou et al, J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2025: melatonin enhanced sarcopenia through the gut-muscle axis by modulating lipopolysaccharides and metabolites.
4. Immune pathways and IL-17a
   - She et al, J Gerontol 2025: IL-17a increases inflammation and muscle loss; microbioommodulation can buffer this.
5. Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
   - Ulvyana et al, Biosc Med 2025: confirm that specific microbial patterns (more Lactobacillus, fewer pathogens) are associated with higher muscle mass and strength.

Innovative solutions for the clinic

1. Recovery Longevity Index
   - My InnerSelfie links DNA (muscle recovery genes), microbiome diversity and metabolites (amino acids, SCFAs) to map recovery strength.
2. Gut-Muscle Signature
   - Identifies which bacteria support muscle building or accelerate muscle loss.
3. Mitochondrial monitoring
   - Multi-omics detects oxidative stress and energy deficits that delay muscle recovery.
4. Rehabilitation personalization
   - Patients receive a profile-driven strategy: tailored nutrition, training and supplements.

Why My InnerSelfie is unique

• Multi-omics integration: DNA, microbiome and metabolites in a single clinical profile.
• Crosstalk focus: visualizing how gut and muscle together regulate muscle mass and recovery.
• Preventive precision: identify risks of sarcopenia or slow recovery early.
• Extra tool for the physician: decisions always remain in the hands of the geriatrician or rehabilitation physician; we provide an extra layer of evidence.
• Tomorrow's care: innovative, preventive and always customized. Innovation of today becomes the standard of tomorrow - safe and scientifically based.

Key insights

• Sarcopenia and rehabilitation outcomes are partly driven by gut-muscle crosstalk.
• Multi-omics reveals immune, metabolite and microbial profiles that predict muscle recovery.
• My InnerSelfie supports physicians in early detection and personalization of rehabilitation care.

Scientific references

• Li T, Yin D, Shi R. Gut-muscle axis mechanism in exercise prevention of sarcopenia. Front Nutr. 2024.
• Li W, Sheng RW, Cao MM, et al. Gut microbiota and sarcopenia. Food Sci Nutr. 2024.
• Lee MC, Hsu YJ, Yang HJ, et al. Probiotic PS23 trial in elderly muscle strength. Nutrients. 2025.
• Wang M, Ren F, Zhou Y, et al. Systematic review: sarcopenia and gut microbiota. Microb Pathog. 2024.
• Hosseini FS, Behrouzi A, Shafaie E, et al. Sarcopenic obesity and gut microbiota. J Diabetes Complic. 2025.
• Zhou LS, Yang Y, Mou L, et al. Melatonin and gut-muscle axis in sarcopenia. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025.
• She M, Li T, Zhou L, et al. Ursolic acid and IL-17a gut-muscle axis in sarcopenia. J Gerontol. 2025.
• Zhu J, Peng F, Yang H, et al. Lactobacillus and muscle mass. Front Nutr. 2025.
• Ulvyana V, Mulyana R, Martini RD. Meta-analysis: gut-muscle axis in sarcopenia. Biosc Med. 2025.
• Chen LA, Boyle K. Gut microbiome and aging. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2024.