Previous results from this cohort reported lower rates of myofibrillar protein biosynthesis using a deuterated water ingestion method, as well as a worsening of glycemic control with a modest elevation in circulatory inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein, IL-6, TNF-α) following step reduction [18]; however, there was no detectable reduction in DXA-measured fat free mass, BMI or muscle strength indicative of early stages of muscle protein degradation without measurable evidence of sarcopenia (i.e., pre-clinical). Here, IL6 is linked to sarcopenia.