Abstract Data on the prevalence of sarcopenia may differ in the same population depending on the reference values used. It is recommended to have reference values obtained from the same population. In Colombia, skeletal muscle mass (SMM) parameters are scarce. The objective was to establish normal values for the skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) and reference values for loss of muscle mass through bioelectric impedance analysis to improve the diagnosis of sarcopenia in the region. This study involved 237 healthy community-dwelling adults over 60 years old. The cut-off values for diagnosis of loss of muscle mass were stablished as the mean -2SD of the population evaluated. The group included 141 females and 96 males. The mean of SMMI were 7.5 ± 0.7 and 9.6 ± 0.8 kg/m 2 for women and men, respectively. The cut-off thresholds for low SMMI were 6.1 kg/m 2 and 8.0 kg/m 2 in females and males. The SMMI values of the self-support elderly found in this study are useful to determine when people have a muscle mass within normal limits and when they could be at risk of or have sarcopenia. Further studies from different regions of this high-rate biodiversity country are recommended to obtain national reference values.