This apparent contradiction may stem from: (1) Malnutrition override: Severely depressed TNF-α could signal protein-energy wasting, exacerbating anabolic resistance; (2) Biphasic regulation: Extreme high/low TNF-α may both disrupt homeostasis, akin to its dual roles in tissue repair vs. degeneration; or (3) Inflammaging exhaustion: Late-stage sarcopenia may deplete inflammatory reserves. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is malnutrition.