Older people lose a lot of their muscle mass due to aging, resulting in mobility problems, weakness and falls. Is there a way you can defy the effects of old age on your muscles? What should you do to stay independent and mobile in your golden years? Find out how you can preserve your muscles and live more actively.
- You Lose Muscle as You Age
- Age-Related Changes in Muscle Density
- Impact of Muscle Density on Overall Health
- The Stages of Muscle Growth
- Nutritional Considerations for Muscle Density
- Lifestyle Factors Boost Muscle Density
You Lose Muscle as You Age
Your body continuously grows muscles from birth until age 30. However, this process reverses at some point in your 30s and goes on until old age.
After 30, you’ll lose about 3%-5% of your muscles every decade, leading to a considerable mobility decline once you reach 70 or 80. Some may even develop sarcopenia, a musculoskeletal condition where muscle strength, mass and performance are significantly reduced. This issue results in trouble performing daily activities, loss of stamina and falling.
Maintaining muscle density is important in late life because it impacts one’s level of independence, freedom and autonomy.
Age-Related Changes in Muscle Density
Besides natural aging, other age-associated factors affecting your vitality in old age include:
Hormonal Changes
As you age, your body produces less growth and thyroid hormones, vitamin D, testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1 and estradiol. These biochemicals are essential for muscle growth, and declining levels may lead to muscle loss or sarcopenia.
Decreased Protein Synthesis
Age-related muscle loss is linked with long-term, low-grade inflammation. This change destabilizes protein production and breakdown, leading to muscle atrophy or thinning.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Just as you lose a skill if you don’t practice it, not using your muscles can reduce their size and strength. Disuse atrophy is a condition in which your body breaks down your muscles if you don’t use them.
Impact of Muscle Density on Overall Health
Muscle quality is associated with longevity. In one study involving 61- and 62-year-old men and women, researchers found higher muscle density lowers mortality risk. Men and women with more dense muscles in the abdomen area reduce their risk of dying by 73% and 57%, respectively.
Physical activities have tremendous health upsides. Leading a more active lifestyle in your golden years could be the key to living a longer and happier life.
Exercises to Enhance Muscle Growth
While you can’t stop age-related muscle loss, exercise is your best bet to increase your strength and maintain mobility and independence in your advanced years.
Strength training — also called resistance training — is the best form of movement to build those upper and lower physiques. Here are the three types of resistance training you can explore to begin your fitness journey from age 50 and beyond.
Weightlifting
Barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells are gym staples, used to target the upper body for strength building. Dumbbell and barbell lifting are typically done standing, so routine variations are limited.
Opt for kettlebells if you want to incorporate more poses into your workout. With them, you can get creative with lifting regimens, like military or seesaw press and Znamensky curl. If you’re a beginner, you must learn the proper forms from a coach. Kettlebells are the perfect gym partner if you want to vary your reps and sets and keep them fun and engaging.
Resistance Bands
These gym equipment resembling large rubber bands can make your strength training extra explosive. They’re affordable, so you can quickly get one online, perfect if you’d rather train in your own space. They come in various resistance levels — 175 pounds is the highest you can get.
They’re highly versatile as almost all forms of exercise have a resistance band version. Those squats, deadlifts and side planks become more challenging and effective at building muscles if you ramp them up with a resistance band.
Body Weight-Bearing Exercises
You can use your body if you don’t like to use any equipment. By countering the gravity through pushups, squats or yoga, you can stimulate muscle growth.
One study found yoga helps manage chronic back pain by engaging the hip and trunk muscles when holding the boat, reverse boat, plank and other poses. This activation builds endurance and strength. It can be part of the rehabilitation program for those with long-term pain conditions.
The upsides of strength training go beyond the muscles and encompass other health domains. For instance, training with kettlebells or other weights can also preserve your cognition as you age. It can improve your focus and keep the mind sharp. Furthermore, it can reduce your Alzheimer’s risk by 50%, another prevalent condition among older people.
The Stages of Muscle Growth
Understanding the biological mechanism behind muscle growth allows you to strategize your workouts. There are seven stages to building those firm triceps, obliques or glutes.
1. Warm-Up
The easy routines you do during the first few minutes of training elevate your heart rate and oxygenate your muscle fibers, priming them for exercise.
2. Muscle Loading
As you increase your reps and sets, your muscles are continuously squeezed and stretched. The heart then pumps more oxygen-rich blood to the protective sheath around your muscle fibers.
3. Nervous System Activation
The nervous system sends a message to the nerves surrounding the protective sheath to contract the muscle fibers and activate them.
4. Chemical Reactions
Your body’s cells then break down the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to fuel the contraction. When this chemical runs out, it converts your supplies of creatine, phosphate and glycogen into ATP to continue powering up your body.
5. Burning
Lactic acid builds up in the muscles during an intense exercise and makes your muscles work less efficiently. Know when you’re out of fuel and rest.
6. Successful Failure
Strength training creates microscopic tears in the muscle fibers, triggering the body to repair and rebuild them.
7. Repair and Growth
Your body then delivers amino acids to the fibers to restore any damage and increase their size.
Nutritional Considerations for Muscle Density
You must pair exercise with an appropriate diet. Here are some foods to add to your plate to fuel muscle growth.
Protein-Rich Foods
Protein is an essential macronutrient for building muscles. Here are your best options:
- Eggs
- Soy
- Nuts
- Beans
- Lean meat
Fiber
One study found eating fiber-rich foods can reduce fat and increase lean mass in people aged 40 and older. They can also boost skeletal muscle strength and balance sugar levels.
- Whole grains like oats
- Apples
- Beans
- Soy
- Fatty fish
- Citrus fruits
Men and women aged 51 and older should consume 30 grams and 21 grams of fiber, respectively. Include these foods in your meals.
Calcium
This nutrient is essential for bone health, but your muscles also need it for proper functioning. Eat these foods to increase your calcium intake.
- Dairy products
- Prunes
- Dark leafy greens
- Salmon
- White beans
Lifestyle Factors Boost Muscle Density
Your lifestyle choices determine how you age. If you want to stay independent or have the vitality to play with your grandchildren in your 70s, incorporating exercise and a healthy diet into your daily routine will help preserve your strength and mobility as your years add up.
Author Bio
With a deep knowledge of workout optimization, Jack Shaw brings his expert opinions and insights to Modded Magazine as lead Fitness editor. His tips, guides and breakdowns have been showcased in publications worldwide, including BarBend, SimpliFaster and TrainHeroic.
