Aging's Effect on Our Lean Muscle Mass

I came across an excellent article on sarcopenia – the gradual loss of muscle mass as we age.  This loss of muscle mass is known to impact the immune system, cardiovascular health, and even conditions such as diabetes.  Inadequate lean muscle mass can indicate a decline in overall health as well as susceptibility to age-related problems such as osteoporosis and hip fractures. (You can read more about the importance of lean muscle mass in my July 2 2007 post on the topic).

The loss of muscle mass occurs with age – one-fifth of a pound of muscle each year and up to one pound each year after the age of fifty.  Because the change is gradual, and usually accompanied by fat accumulation, many people may not even realize the dramatic shift in body composition that is taking place.

This article from Best Life highlights two key solutions to the problem of sarcopenia:

• Weight-bearing exercise
• Improved/Increases protein nutrition

Exercise with weights, when done properly, stimulates muscle fibers to grow. 

Protein intake is vital because if the body does not receive the amino acids it needs (and it needs amino acids for virtually every function!) from food, it will leach them from your skeletal muscle mass. 

I mention not only increased protein but improved protein nutrition because it may not be enough to simply eat more.  Our bodies produce fewer digestive enzymes as we age, so we may need help in breaking down and absorbing amino acids from our dietary protein.

Sure, the information in this article may seem a bit disheartening at first, but it also points us in the right direction: the most important fact you can take away from this is that while we cannot stop aging, we can make changes in diet and exercise that dramatically effect how we age.