MASS Lifecourse begins exciting new phase of discovery

The Muscle Ageing and Sarcopenia Study (MASS) Lifecourse, one of the AGE Research Group’s flagship studies, has now entered an exciting new phase as follow-up of our participants is underway.

Between 2018 and 2024 we established a deep phenotyped cohort of 260 men and women aged 18-85 years from across the North East of England.  This cohort underwent comprehensive assessments of their health, lifestyle and muscle function, size and composition (including a muscle biopsy).  These data allow us to answer 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.

We showcased our plans to undertake follow-up assessments at a community event for the MASS Lifecourse participants and their families in 2024 and their feedback informed the development of this next study phase.

After detailed planning, this new follow-up phase of the study has now begun.  It will involve inviting participants for further assessments at the Clinical Ageing Research Unit, approximately 5 to 6 years after they were first assessed. Participants will repeat assessments previously completed, including an assessment of their long-term conditions, measurement of muscle strength and function, and a second muscle biopsy. This phase will also include several new measures including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), supported by colleagues in the Centre for In-vivo Imaging. Data collected during these follow-up visits will further advance our understanding of how muscle health and function changes over time.  In addition, it will inform the identification of preventive strategies and treatments for sarcopenia and multiple long-term that can be tested in clinical trials.

The first participant to complete the MASS Lifecourse follow-up visits said:

“I had such a positive experience taking part in the MASS Lifecourse study previously, I was really keen to come back again to help as much as I can. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to notice changes in my strength and I know that these changes could really matter in the years to come.  I think that research is so important, for older people but also for the next generation, and people like me need to do our share to contribute and help healthcare progress”.

We are incredibly grateful to all 260 of our participants for their time and invaluable contributions to this research and we hope to see many of them return for their follow up assessments in the next couple of years.  MASS Lifecourse is funded by the Ageing, Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity theme within the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre.

Last modified: Fri, 24 Oct 2025 15:01:44 BST