Sarcopenia, also known as age-related sarcopenia, is defined as a degenerative syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and function. Sarcopenia involves complex mechanisms, including exercise lacking, neuromuscular function decline and motor unit restructuring, declining in adequate protein intake and synthesis, changing in hormone levels, expansion of fat tissue and chronic inflammation, apoptosis, skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction, and different genes and ethnics, et al. Further study on the mechanisms of sarcopenia is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of geriatric sarcopenia.