MASS Lifecourse
Muscle Ageing and Sarcopenia Study
A unique resource for understanding skeletal muscle ageing across adulthood
We have established a deep phenotyped cohort of people from the North East of England that is enabling advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia.
A total of 260 men and women aged 18 to 85 years were recruited to the study between 2018 and 2024. Follow-up of participants began in the second half of 2025.
Data collected allow us to answer important questions that will inform identification of preventive strategies and treatments that can be tested in clinical trials.
MASS Lifecourse is an observational study designed and delivered by members of the AGE Research Group, supported by the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). The study forms a key part of the work being delivered within the BRC Ageing, Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity theme.
MASS Lifecourse harnesses the AGE Research Group’s interdisciplinary expertise in academic geriatric medicine, life course epidemiology, biology, sport science and physiology to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia and multiple long-term conditions.
Between 2018 and 2024, 260 men and women aged 18 to 85 years living in the North East of England were recruited via General Practitioner (GP) practices, including those within the Northumbria Primary Care network, to participate in MASS Lifecourse.
At baseline, participants underwent comprehensive assessments of their health and lifestyle during a home visit and detailed assessment of their muscle function, size and composition (including a muscle biopsy) during a clinic visit. This is described in our MASS Lifecourse protocol paper.
In 2025, we began follow-up assessments of MASS Lifecourse participants. These involve two clinic visits during which many baseline assessments, including muscle biopsy, are repeated alongside new measures of muscle function.
Using the data collected we are addressing important questions that improve our understanding of:
how muscle changes with age across adulthood
what lifestyle factors influence these changes
the biology of muscle ageing in humans
The evidence we generate will inform the identification of preventive strategies and novel treatments for sarcopenia and multiple long-term conditions that can be tested in clinical trials, including within REVITALISE.
MASS Lifecourse relies on the generosity of volunteers and in 2024 we had the opportunity to thank participants, disseminate preliminary findings and ask for feedback on future plans at a special engagement event. You can read more about this event here.
DC is supporting in the creation of a collage
Study Fact File
Chief Investigator (baseline): Professor Avan Aihie Sayer
Chief Investigator (follow-up): Professor Rachel Cooper
Principal Investigator: Professor Miles Witham
Funders: NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre
Enquiries: nuth.mass-lifecoursestudy@nhs.net