Many individuals continue to demonstrate remarkable strength and stamina even into their 70s and 80s. What’s their secret? Well, you don’t need to lift massive weights or run marathons to retain strength as you age. What you need is a resistance training program, a diet that will help you retain muscle mass, and consistency. Studies have shown that keeping muscle mass as we get older is vital, benefiting not just our physical health but also our overall well-being.
Shrinking Muscles: The Sarcopenia Saga
As we age, it’s normal to experience a decrease in muscle mass, strength, and function, known as sarcopenia. This process can start as early as your 30s and continues at a rate of 3% to 5% per decade. It can lead to weakness, fatigue, and difficulty with daily activities such as standing, walking, and climbing stairs. Without strength training, people can lose up to 30% of their muscle mass between the ages of 50 and 70! After 70, the rate of muscle loss accelerates further, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, falls, and injuries. Muscles also have other benefits.
Muscles are so important to health that some experts consider the muscle system an organ. You see, muscles release myokines, which are signaling molecules that communicate with other organs in your body. This interaction helps regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation, and support immune function. It’s easy to see that retaining muscle mass can have positive effects far beyond just strength.
In a manner of speaking, survivability is determined by muscle health. The good news is that you can slow down muscle loss, and it doesn’t take superhuman effort or going to the gym 7 days a week.
3 Ways to Power Up Your Muscles
There are 3 important facets of any program to retain or build muscle as you age: progressive resistance training, consistency, and eating to build or retain muscle mass.
According to gerontologist Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on the Doctor’s Farmacy podcast, “When we think about skeletal muscle, it’s really important for exercise [and] performance—that’s all the obvious. But where muscle really excels, is its metabolic [role]. It is our metabolic currency. It cannot be bought or sold it must be earned. You have direct input into the health and function of skeletal muscle.”
Don’t Resist Resistance Training
Researchers have been studying the effects of strength training for more than 40 years and have identified multiple ways it can benefit older adults. These benefits include maintaining muscle mass, improving mobility, and increasing the healthy years of life. Strength training not only helps maintain muscle mass, but it also supports overall health. It can improve balance and energy levels, making daily activities easier and more enjoyable.
Progressive Resistance Training (PRT) is the most effective way to maintain muscle mass, stimulate muscle growth, and help reverse muscle losses as you age. This involves gradually increasing the weight, repetitions, and sets of exercises as your strength improves. All resistance training involves exercises that require muscles to contract against resistance, such as weightlifting, using bands, or performing body weight-bearing exercises like pushups and squats.
Key factors for an effective progressive resistance training program include:
Frequency: At least 2-3 times per week
Duration: Sessions lasting 40-60 minutes
Intensity: Moderate to high intensity
Progression: Gradually increasing weight or resistance over time
If you're able, include exercises that improve your balance. For example, standing while doing a shoulder press with dumbbells challenges your balance more than doing the same exercise seated. Include standing body weight exercises like single leg balance and lateral leg raises.
New to resistance training? Consider meeting with an exercise physiologist, physical therapist, or athletic trainer. They can teach you the proper form to maximize the benefits of each exercise while avoiding injury. This will boost your confidence and comfort level in the gym or class. The real recipe for results involves consistency. If you start and stop, start and stop, results may evade you.
Consistency is Muscle Magic
Maintaining an active lifestyle with regular movement is essential for preserving muscle mass. This includes both structured exercise and daily activities. Combining resistance training with aerobic exercises such as walking can be particularly effective in preventing and reversing sarcopenia. Regular exercise can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases, enhance mental health, and increase life expectancy.
Consistency is key! Try doing things that will help you establish a routine and accountability: Meet friends at the gym or for a class, arrange hikes with a partner, walk your dog on a schedule, take up a new sport, pay for a set of exercise classes upfront, or sign up for a challenge. Whatever it takes to keep you interested and committed. And don’t forget, in order to make the most of your new training routine, you have to eat in a manner that helps your body retain and build muscle. But before starting this or any new exercise or diet, always check with your healthcare professional.
Feed Those Muscles
Proper nutrition, especially sufficient protein consumption, is crucial for maintaining muscle mass. A 2018 study published in The Journals of Gerontology detailed research on more than 2,900 seniors, who were followed over a 23-year period. The researchers found that those who ate the most protein were 30% less likely to become functionally impaired than those who ate the least amount of protein. Good protein sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, lentils, and beans. Leucine-rich foods, such as whey protein, meat, fish, and eggs, are particularly beneficial.
The federal guideline for individuals aged 19 and older is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (.4 grams per pound) of body weight. However, many nutrition experts believe this is much too low. After all, federal guidelines are generally established to prevent deficiency disease, not promote optimal health. Bearing this in mind, experts recommend doubling this amount (1.6 g/kg or .8 grams per pound) at minimum. Some specialists in the field of longevity, suggest striving for 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight daily. Remember, it's best to distribute protein intake evenly across meals to maximize muscle protein synthesis.
It's important to note that with age protein digestion can be compromised. Your healthcare professional may recommend an easily-digestible protein shake to help meet protein needs and/or a protein-enzyme supplement that will assist your body in breaking down and utilizing protein. Other supplements that may improve muscle mass gains and help prevent sarcopenia include creatine, HMB (hydroxymethylbutyrate), and urolithin A.
Ensuring adequate vitamin D levels through sunlight exposure, diet, or supplementation is also critical. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to sarcopenia, and ensuring optimal vitamin D can help maintain muscle strength and reduce fall risk.
These three components work synergistically to combat age-related muscle loss. Progressive resistance training provides the stimulus for muscle growth and maintenance, adequate protein intake supplies the building blocks for muscle tissue, and consistent physical activity helps maintain overall muscle function and prevents the use it or lose it effect associated with sedentary lifestyles. Remember, it's never too late to start. By incorporating these strategies into your routine, you can enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle well into your golden years.
