01/07/2022
Exercise.
USE IT OR LOSE IT - This picture (from a BBC programme on health & ageing) shows the muscle wastage of the thigh from 35-55-85 years old. The white in the middle is the femur, the red is the quads & hamstrings & then the white is subcutaneous fat.
Muscle strength is closely related to the absolute quantity of muscle mass, which is also reduced with aging. Between the ages of 40 and 50 years, we can lose 8% of our muscle mass; this loss accelerates to 15% per decade after age 75 years.
This decrease in muscle mass (sarcopenia) is thought to contribute to the development of functional limitations and disability in old age and potentially might explain part of the association between strength & mortality.
“Sarcopenia is the age-associated decline in muscle mass, strength, and quality that begins as early as the fourth decade of life and is a major contributor to poor health and disability in older adults.
The progressive loss of muscle mass and the concomitant decline in muscle strength (dynapenia) are associated with a large and diverse group of pathologies including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), frailty and disability, increased risk of falls and fractures, loss of physical independence, cognitive decline and depression, lower quality of life, and all-cause mortality.
The etiology of this muscle loss is known to be multifactorial with reductions in activity levels and inappropriate nutrition playing central roles”
Exercise training and proper nutrition can have dramatic effects on muscle mass and strength. An optimal intervention program may include an exercise-training schedule that incorporates both resistance and aerobic exercise with adequate intake of total calories and protein.
Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, improve your fitness or sports performance make sure you are doing some form of weights training, consistently, so you can age gracefully
There is no such thing as “too old to start” (Exercise at any age stimulates protein synthesis and increased muscle mass and strength) and there is no reason to ever stop.
Awesome post from ! ❤️
