Herbal hope: new combo treatment targets Age-Related muscle decline

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Meets the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2025 consensus, defined as the co-presence of: Low Muscle Mass: Appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) measured by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) below the following thresholds: Ages 50-64: \<7.6 kg/m² for men, \<5.7 kg/m² for women. Ages ≥65: \<7.0 kg/m² for men, \<5.7 kg/m² for women. Low Muscle Strength: Handgrip strength below the following thresholds: Ages 50-64: \<34 kg for men, \<20 kg for women. Ages ≥65: \<28 kg for men, \<18 kg for women. * Meets the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pattern diagnosis criteria for Spleen-Kidney Deficiency Syndrome, characterized by: Primary Symptoms: Muscle wasting, general fatigue, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees. Secondary Symptoms: Poor appetite, abdominal distension, loose or chronic diarrhea, dizziness, poor memory. Tongue presentation: pale and swollen tongue with tooth marks, white and glossy coating. Pulse: deep, thin, and weak. * Aged between 50 and 75 years. * Willing and able to provide written informed consent personally or via a legal guardian. Exclusion Criteria: * Secondary sarcopenia due to specific diseases (e.g., active malignancy, hyperthyroidism, severe hepatic or renal dysfunction). * Presence of severe or uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, consumptive diseases (e.g., cancer), active infections, or severe osteoporosis. * Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, or other cognitive/mental impairments that would hinder cooperation with the trial procedures. * Inability to perform activities of daily living or walk independently; or presence of motor dysfunction due to joint deformities, prolonged bed rest, fractures, or other reasons that would preclude safe participation in resistance training. * Known contraindications to the ingredients of the investigational herbal formula or allergy to the materials of the elastic bands. * Use of medications known to affect muscle metabolism (e.g., corticosteroids, muscle relaxants) within the past 3 months. * Participation in any other interventional clinical trial within the past 3 months.