Dynapenia

Dynapenia is the age-related loss of muscle strength and power that occurs independently of muscle mass loss. The term was coined by Clark and Manini (2008) to distinguish age-related strength loss from sarcopenia, which historically centred on muscle mass. It reflects neurological decline — fewer motor units, slower firing rates, reduced central drive — rather than just atrophy. Because strength predicts mortality more strongly than mass, dynapenia is now considered a distinct geriatric risk factor; power-focused training is the primary countermeasure.