Losing muscle as you age knows a Sarcopenia. This can be stopped if you take precaution as you grow old.
When you grow, your muscles get stronger, but this happens only till the age of 30. Yes, it is the bitter truth. After the age of 30, you start losing your muscles.
According to research, an inactive man nearly loses 3% to 5% of his muscles every ten years after the age of 30, and this is a very large amount.
This degradation in muscles with aging is called sarcopenia, a disease that is caused by age to almost every person.
But this loss of muscles with time can be decreased if you take proper actions and avoid carelessness with your body. The upcoming article contains the complete information about what is this sarcopenia and how can you prevent yourself from this.
Table of Contents
What Is Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is a so-called disease in which with age your muscles start losing strength, mass and functionality. It usually starts at the age of 30 and accelerates after you cross the bar of 60, but the amount of degradation depends on upon the physical fitness of your body.
This is not the case that it occurs to only physically unfit people, it occurs to physically fit people as well however the speed depends on the physical fitness. The rate of this also depends on your hormone levels, your nutritional imbalances and inflammation.
How Muscle Loss Changes As You Get Older?
Muscle loss is normal as you age. As you cross 30, your muscles start degrading, but 60 is the mark which is when crossed then degradation of muscles is accelerated.
After an age of 60, you start losing your muscle strength very fast which was 0.5% before 60 reaches 1% after 60 and then 2% 3% and so on. With time fats start entering your muscles and once they have entered no one can kick them out.
That’s why you need to take proper action on time so that you can decrease the speed of muscle degradation with time.
Importance Of Muscles
No one must be unaware of the importance of muscles in your body. Muscles are responsible for maintaining the proper metabolism of your body.
If you protect your muscles, then it means you are protecting yourself from various hormonal and metabolic problems such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Loss of muscles led to the overall decline of your metabolic system. Yes, you can’t complete your muscles from getting degraded but you can slow the rate of degradation.
Causes And Symptoms
There Are Various Symptoms Of The Loss In Muscles With Time Which Are
- Musculoskeletal weakness
- Loss of stamina
- Reduced physical activity was leading to reduced muscle mass.
These are the symptoms that are normally observed in every person with time.
Causes For This Loss In Muscles With Age Are
- The Most important cause is to remain physically active throughout life.
- A decrease in the ability of the body to synthesize protein.
- Insufficient intake of calories or proteins.
How To Prevent Loss Of Muscles As You Age?
How To Prevent Loss Of Muscles As You Age
1.High-Quality Protein Or Whey Protein
The building blocks of muscles are amino acids that are present in proteins. That’s why if you face any problem related to muscles then you are always suggested by experts to take amino acids.
Leucine is a type of amino acid that works wonderfully for making the muscles stronger. That’s why you should try to take food products that contain leucine amino acid. The food items that contain amino acid leucine in it are:
2.Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 fats are also very useful for the treatment of muscles. It not only prevents your muscles to get weak but also increase your strength.
Researchers have found that inflammation is one of the reasons behind breaking down your muscles and omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties.
That’s why it is suggested to take omega-3 fats to prevent your muscles from breakdown. Food items that you can consume for getting omega-3 fats are:
- Omega-3 enriched eggs
- Walnuts
- Salmon
You should add these things to your meal for increasing strength in your muscles.
3.Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also very essential for your muscles. If you take enough amount of vitamin D, then it is really helpful in the synthesis of the protein of the muscles and also helpful in the prevention of inflammation. It has proved itself to be very good in saving muscle fibers. So, you should take food items rich in Vitamin D.
However according to the research, with age, it becomes difficult for your body to make vitamin D through exposure to the sun. That’s why it is suggested that people of age above 80 should take pills of Vitamin D.
4.Exercise
First and the most important and the most effective way for the prevention of loss in muscles are to do exercise especially resistance training or strength training. These exercises increase the strength of your muscles. So, you do not
So, you do not loss them with aging with that much frequency that a normal person loses. Exercises positively influence the neuro-muscular system of your body.
And you should take protein an hour before starting workout as according to the research, the marriage of protein and workout works tremendously for your muscles.
5.Heart Pumping
Cardio is very helpful for increasing the strength of your muscles. When you go for aerobic exercises, then aerobic exercises improve the capacity of your body for giving a response to insulin which in turn helpful in maintaining the strength if your muscles.
That’s why you should go for cardio like swimming, biking or brisk walking for at least 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week for good results.
6.Creatine
Creatine is really helpful for the prevention of this loss in muscle. Creatine: according to the research, it is found that those adults who take creatine while completely following exercises, their muscle strength increases with time and they face less lean body mass.
That’s why it is preferred to consume creatine for maintaining the strength of your muscles. Older persons should take the supplement of creatine.
7.Apple Peels And Green Tomatoes
Peels of apples and green tomatoes contain the various compounds that prevent wasting of muscles with age. So, you should increase the intake of apple and green tomatoes.
Moreover, apple peels and green tomatoes contain two compounds, ursolic acid, and tomatine that are helpful in reducing the activity of ATF4 which is helpful in maintaining the strength of muscles as ATF4 is responsible for the breakdown of muscles.
So, eating apple peels and green tomatoes will reduce the loss of muscles with time.
Beware Of Whey Products That May Do Harm Than Good
Usually, whey protein products are taken for maintaining the strength of your muscles. But you must be aware of the products that you are taking as some of the products that contain protein can be harmful instead of increasing the strength of your muscles.
You must use whey protein concentrate for the intake of protein. For better quality of protein, you should take cheese of raw milk. Try to take those products that contain high quality of protein.
Bottom Line
Yes, this is a natural phenomenon, but you can decrease the frequency of this phenomenon by following the preventive measures and especially keeping your body active and fit. Exercise is the most needed and the best medicine for each and everything. It keeps you fit and fine for the complete life.
So, if you don’t do exercises then start today but do exercise daily and along with this take more preventive actions. Make them your routine to save your important muscles.
As we normally see around us, many of 60 years old person have much better muscles than the person of age about 40, the reason behind this is totally how are you taking care of your muscles?
You can de-accelerate the losing of your muscles with age with if you are taking proper action. So, take appropriate exercise and diet for better muscles.
