HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR MUSCLE MASS

How is muscle lost during aging?

Before learning about solutions to maintain muscle mass, we need to have basic knowledge about the effects of aging on muscles. According to experts, the ideal human muscle mass will not be preserved forever and will still decline over time or the aging process, but we still have ways to prevent and slow down the process. This. Many people believe that in life there is one thing that is inevitable: death, and for men, the problem of losing muscle mass should be added to this list.

Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, is a natural part of the aging process. After age 30, when we measure muscle mass we will see a loss of 3% to 5% per decade and most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass over their lifetime.

Less muscle mass means the body will be weaker and have more limited movement, thereby increasing the risk of falls and fractures. A 2015 report from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research found that people with sarcopenia are 2.3 times more likely to have traumatic fractures, including fractures of the pelvis, collarbone, lower legs, and wings. hand or wrist.

However, scientists say muscle mass lost due to aging does not mean it will disappear forever. Accordingly, we can completely increase the muscle mass lost due to aging through many different conservation measures, so how should we maintain muscle mass?

How to maintain muscle mass? 

How to preserve muscle during aging

Weightlifting

After age 30, the human body begins to naturally lose muscle mass but at a very slow rate. Age-related muscle loss, called sarcopenia, increases and becomes more apparent after age 40, peaking at 30-50% loss at age 80.

There are many resons for loss of ideal muscle mass and the risk depends on a number of factors related to genetics and lifestyle. Among them, sex hormone deficiency and low physical activity levels in the elderly are the main culprits causing sarcopenia due to aging.

However, experts recommend that it is still possible to prevent or at least slow down the natural process of muscle loss by maintaining appropriate physical activity. In particular, the habit of lifting weights 2 to 3 times per week with all major muscle groups of the body can help preserve muscles better.

Focus on Protein

Ensuring a well-rounded diet and getting the recommended amount of protein for your activity level is one way to maintain muscle mass as you age. Accordingly, the minimum protein requirement is 0.8g/kg of body weight per day and a maximum of 1.2g is better for aging people who want to preserve muscle.

Protein is an essential nutrient for building and maintaining muscle mass, as it is responsible for the growth and repair of muscle tissue. Many studies show that high protein intake is important for maintaining muscle mass as the body ages and also when dieting below normal calories.

Older adults often eat less protein which can ultimately put them at higher risk of protein deficiency, other factors include reduced protein absorption due to reduced gut function and bacteria. If you're having trouble meeting your protein needs, consider supplementing with protein powder to increase your intake. Research shows that older adults can greatly benefit from protein supplementation to ensure adequate nutrition to support muscle preservation.

Make sure to get enough calories

A person may not eat enough to maintain a balanced body weight with the amount of energy expended in daily life, including physical activity. In that case, they will lose muscle and possibly lose bone. Therefore, scientists say it is necessary to pay attention to the total amount of calories consumed to maintain ideal muscle mass.

While getting enough protein is essential and people who train heavily such as athletes may need a little more protein than mentioned, making sure to get enough calories is probably even more important. than. Carbohydrates are essential to provide anabolic (muscle building) stimulants in the body, and of course when deficient, the risk of muscle loss is very high. If you are an athlete, you need to determine your ideal weight for your activity, then take measures to monitor your weight and adjust your diet and exercise accordingly.

Exercise to preserve muscle

The type of workout you are pursuing also plays an important role in maintaining muscle mass. Experts say that weight-bearing exercises are very important to preserve muscles. Meanwhile, although it has great effects on health in general and disease prevention in particular, cardio exercises will not help maintain your muscle mass.

In fact, resistance training, when done too much, can lead to muscle loss as the body tries to become lighter to meet the demands of the workout. However, when combined with resistance exercises, it can improve the ability to maintain and preserve muscles.

Relax and get enough sleep

Sleep is the time needed to rebuild muscles. Hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone begin to repair the body as you fall asleep. Therefore, sleeping well will help with muscle preservation and you need to make sure that you can do this. Along with that, relaxing the mind is also very important because stress will create catabolism, which means more muscle destruction. Another factor is that sleep will provide enough energy for exercise and help the body choose better foods, thereby providing a better effect of maintaining muscle mass due to aging.

There are many ways to preserve muscle mass, in which physical activity and scientific nutrition are necessary. In addition, you can also supplement with active ingredients to help preserve muscle mass and prevent muscle loss .