Muscle: Work It, Feed It Properly, or Lose It

July 26, 2022

The aging process is not always pleasant. I'm not kidding! As we progress through our decades, we gradually or abruptly realize that we could have done more to take care of ourselves. When niggling pains and health issues arise, we find ourselves with medical appointments on our social calendar.

This isn't meant to be a downer, but rather to look at a few steps we can take to improve our health regardless of our age. One of these steps is to maintain our physical fitness. Muscle strength, indeed. Do you remember how strong you were when you were younger? What about right now?

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Our bodies develop and maintain skeletal muscle mass until around the age of 30. Muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, begins in our forties, with muscle mass gradually declining by about 10% every decade. Around the age of 75, muscle decline accelerates, and by the age of 80, we've lost nearly half of our muscle. We don't notice loss because it happens so gradually. Our attention is typically focused on the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Muscle health often gets lost in the shuffle of more visible health issues.

The medical community is recognizing symptoms as a serious medical condition that affects quality of life, particularly in the elderly. Until recently, measuring and diagnosing sarcopenia were difficult. Poor hand strength and slow walking speed are now considered diagnostic measures, and sarcopenia is a medical condition that must be reported.

Ageing progresses to insignificance with an increased risk of falling, poor balance, and poor mobility, ultimately threatening quality of life and leading to an increased risk of hospitalization with a longer hospital stay.

Muscle mass accounts for 40% of our body weight, working in tandem with our skeleton. Taller people have more muscle than shorter people. However, even if weight remains constant, the percentage of muscle tissue decreases while fat tissue increases.

Muscle also contributes significantly to energy metabolism by utilizing blood glucose in conjunction with insulin for muscle activity. As muscle is lost, metabolism slows. Without muscle, blood glucose cannot absorb all of the available glucose delivered by insulin. If glucose is not used, it is recycled by the liver and converted to fatty acids. Instead, these fatty acids and dietary fatty acids (fat) accumulate in muscle tissue as fatty deposits. Fat deposits reduce insulin sensitivity, which in turn affects muscle structure and work capacity. As muscle mass declines, a vicious cycle begins. Obesity, hormonal changes, and other medical conditions like diabetes can all speed up muscle loss.

Muscle Protection and Muscle Growth

Make sure you're getting enough Vitamin D3. If you don't get enough vitamin D3 from food or sunlight, taking a vitamin D3 supplement is the best option. Request a blood test from your doctor to determine your level. Vitamin D3 aids in muscle development, maintenance, and movement.
If you don't get enough calcium in your diet, a calcium-magnesium supplement can help. Both minerals aid in muscle contraction and bone structure.
If you are over the age of 70, check your diet to ensure you are getting enough protein. Protein intake should range between 1.0 and 2.0 g per kilogram of body weight. Protein aids in muscle growth.
Make resistance exercise a habit, as it forces muscles to do work, resulting in an increase in muscle tissue.
Muscle loss occurs when you have diabetes and are overweight. Healthy eating and exercise help to prevent both, as well as build and maintain muscle.