Losing muscle as we age – what can we do about it?
As we age, our bodies appear to lose their ability to move and function like they used to. It can feel really hard to maintain strength and muscle mass, let alone build it. But how much of this is down to just getting older? And how much of it can we control?
Let’s explore this!
Importance of muscle and strength
Having sufficient muscle mass and strength is crucial for our health and quality of life, particularly as we age. It can be the difference between living an independent and active life, and a sedentary one where we rely on others to support us with everyday tasks. Having muscular strength also reduces the risk of an early death as it reduces our risk of falling, and if we do fall, it reduces the risk of breaking a bone.
What we know about muscle loss
‘Sarcopoenia’ is the term used to describe the progressive and generalised loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and function.
Studies have shown that after the age of 30, we lose around 3-8% of muscle per decade, and this rate is even higher after the age of 60. This is due to a range of factors, particularly:
● reduction in the body’s endocrine function (i.e., the ability to make and use hormones)
● lack of physical activity
● inadequate nutrition
The problem with muscle loss
Losing muscle can make it harder to move around (like getting out of bed in the morning or walking up stairs), which can lead to a decrease in motivation to exercise and move in general. It can become a tough, vicious cycle to break from… not exercising because you’re weak and unfit, and being weak and unfit because you’re not exercising…
The Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, said ‘We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing’. We think those wise words can equally be applied to movement and ageing.
What can we do about it?
There are two main areas we can focus on to build and maintain muscle mass as we age – exercise (enter strength training), and our diet (consuming enough protein). The literature shows that exercise and proper nutrition can have a significant positive effect on muscle mass and strength.
Exercise
We found the graph below to be really interesting in illustrating just how much physical exercise can impact how we age. It shows how strength and balance are correlated with ‘successful ageing’ and avoiding frailty and disability.
The dark blue line shows how someone ages on average if they do not incorporate strength and balance training into their routine. They fall below the ‘capability threshold’ for a significant chunk of time in their later years which essentially means they’ve reached frailty and disability.
The green line, on the other hand, shows how someone ages on average if they incorporate strength and balance activities into their routine. They maintain their strength and balance above the ‘capability threshold’ well into their later years.
It’s a pretty huge, life-changing difference.
There is also strong evidence to support that it’s never too late to build and maintain muscle and strength. If you’ve not done much or any strength training in the past, you’ve got the most to gain from strength training, no matter how late you start! While it certainly is harder to build muscle after the age of 60, it’s very possible! If you’re looking for some inspiration for yourself or a loved one, we love @trainwithjoan on Instagram who has documented her journey of starting strength training in her 70s!
There’s also evidence to show that incorporating aerobic training (i.e. cardio) into your routine can support you in building and maintaining muscle – in addition to all the other amazing health benefits! Often, when participating in resistance training, you’ll also be getting aerobic training benefits but, if you can also fit in dedicated aerobic work (such as a brisk walk, run or cycle) then this is even better!
Of course, more isn’t always better when it comes to exercise. You should gradually increase your activity levels over time and ensure you have adequate recovery (rest days, sleep and nutrition) in-between sessions.
Nutrition
Protein is the key macronutrient when it comes to building and maintaining muscle. Not getting enough protein in our diets can lead to muscle wasting. There’s a lot to say on protein and myths to bust so we’ll do a separate article on that soon!
The amount of protein we need changes in different stages of our lifetime. The guidelines vary depending on where you look, with more recent research generally supporting a higher protein intake.
Recommended daily protein intake guidance ranges from 0.75-1.8 grams (g) protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight. More recent research suggests aiming for between 1.3g and 1.8g per kg of body weight daily, may be optimal for health, especially when it comes to warding off age-related muscle loss.
The range is pretty big – if you weigh 70kg that’s between 53g and 126g of protein per day. To simplify this, we suggest you consume at least 0.75g of protein per kg of your body weight, and consider consuming more protein if you can.
It can be relatively easy to achieve sufficient protein for most people, however, it might be worth monitoring protein intake more closely if you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.
What about consuming too much protein? Well, the common concern that eating large amounts of protein leads to issues with the kidneys is generally unfounded. That being said, it’s important to look at the protein source as a whole and what other nutrients come with it when considering its impact on health.
Conclusion
While it’s natural for our bodies to become less efficient in building and maintaining muscle over time, we can make a huge difference in how much muscle we build and maintain through resistance training as well as diet.
The key actions to support healthy aging and maintain muscle mass are:
Aim for at least two strength-based exercise sessions a week which support you in progressing and getting stronger over time.
Aim to consume a bare minimum of 0.75g of protein per kg of body weight, and consider consuming more as part of a balanced diet.
