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Feb 19, 2016 · Staying Healthy. Preserve your muscle mass. February 19, 2016. Declining muscle mass is part of aging, but that does not mean you are helpless to stop it. The saying goes there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. But men should also add loss of muscle mass to the list.
- hhp_info@health.harvard.edu
- Overview
- What Is Sarcopenia?
- Four Factors That Accelerate Muscle Loss
- How to Tell If You Have Sarcopenia
- Exercise Can Reverse Sarcopenia
- Four Nutrients That Fight Sarcopenia
- The Bottom Line
Sarcopenia can occur naturally due to aging or other health conditions. But certain practices, including adjusting your diet and activity level, may help prevent or reverse it.
Sarcopenia, also known as muscle loss, is a common condition that affects 10% of adults who are over 50 years old.
While it can decrease life expectancy and quality of life, there are actions you can take to prevent and even reverse the condition.
Although some of the causes of sarcopenia are a natural consequence of aging, others are preventable. In fact, a healthy diet and regular exercise can reverse sarcopenia, increasing lifespan and quality of life.
Sarcopenia literally means “lack of flesh.” It’s a condition of age-associated muscle degeneration that becomes more common in people over the age of 50.
After middle age, adults lose 3% of their muscle strength every year, on average. This limits their ability to perform many routine activities (1, 2, 3).
Unfortunately, sarcopenia also shortens life expectancy in those it affects, compared to individuals with normal muscle strength (4, 5).
Sarcopenia is caused by an imbalance between signals for muscle cell growth and signals for teardown. Cell growth processes are called “anabolism,” and cell teardown processes are called “catabolism” (6).
For example, growth hormones act with protein-destroying enzymes to keep muscle steady through a cycle of growth, stress or injury, destruction and then healing.
This cycle is always occurring, and when things are in balance, muscle keeps its strength over time.
1. Immobility, Including a Sedentary Lifestyle
Disuse of muscle is one of the strongest triggers of sarcopenia, leading to faster muscle loss and increasing weakness (8). Bed rest or immobilization after an injury or illness leads to rapid loss of muscle (9). Although less dramatic, two to three weeks of decreased walking and other regular activity is also enough to decrease muscle mass and strength (9). Periods of decreased activity can become a vicious cycle. Muscle strength decreases, resulting in greater fatigue and making it more difficult to return to normal activity.
2. Unbalanced Diet
A diet providing insufficient calories and protein results in weight loss and diminished muscle mass. Unfortunately, low-calorie and low-protein diets become more common with aging, due to changes in sense of taste, problems with the teeth, gums and swallowing, or increased difficulty shopping and cooking. To help prevent sarcopenia, scientists recommend consuming 25–30 grams of protein at each meal (10).
3. Inflammation
After injury or illness, inflammation sends signals to the body to tear down and then rebuild the damaged groups of cells. Chronic or long-term diseases can also result in inflammation that disrupts the normal balance of teardown and healing, resulting in muscle loss. For example, a study of patients with long-term inflammation resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also showed that patients had decreased muscle mass (11). Examples of other diseases that cause long-term inflammation include rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, lupus, vasculitis, severe burns and chronic infections like tuberculosis. A study of 11,249 older adults found that blood levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, strongly predicted sarcopenia (12).
The signs of sarcopenia are the result of diminished muscle strength.
Early signs of sarcopenia include feeling physically weaker over time, and having more difficulty than usual lifting familiar objects (17).
A hand-grip-strength test has been used to help diagnose sarcopenia in studies, and may be used in some clinics (18).
Decreased strength might show itself in other ways too, including walking more slowly, becoming exhausted more easily and having less interest in being active (17).
Losing weight without trying can also be a sign of sarcopenia (18).
However, these signs can also occur in other medical conditions. Yet if you experience one or more of these and can’t explain why, talk to a health professional.
The strongest way to fight sarcopenia is to keep your muscles active (19).
Combinations of aerobic exercise, resistance training and balance training can prevent and even reverse muscle loss. At least two to four exercise sessions weekly may be required to achieve these benefits (20).
1. Protein
Getting protein in your diet directly signals your muscle tissue to build and strengthen. As people age, their muscles become more resistant to this signal, so they need to consume more protein to increase muscle growth (29). One study found that when 33 men over age 70 consumed a meal containing at least 35 grams of protein, their muscle growth increased (30). Another study found that a group of younger men only required 20 grams of protein per meal to stimulate growth (31). A third study got seven men over the age of 65 to take daily 15-gram supplements of essential amino acids, the smaller building blocks of protein, which resulted in muscle growth (32). The amino acid leucine is particularly important for regulating muscle growth. Rich sources of leucine include whey protein, meat, fish and eggs, as well as soy protein isolate (29).
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is related to sarcopenia, although the reasons why are not entirely understood (33). Taking vitamin D supplements can increase muscle strength and reduce the risk of falling. These benefits have not been seen in all studies, possibly because some research volunteers may have already been getting enough vitamin D (33). The best dose of vitamin D for preventing sarcopenia is currently unclear.
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
No matter how old you are, consuming omega-3 fatty acids via seafood or supplements will increase your muscle growth (34, 35). A study of 45 women found that a daily 2-gram fish oil supplement combined with resistance training increased muscle strength more than resistance training without fish oil (36). Part of this benefit may be due to the anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. However, research has suggested that omega-3s might also signal muscle growth directly (29).
Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass and strength, becomes more common with age and can decrease lifespan and quality of life.
Eating enough calories and high-quality protein can slow down the rate of muscle loss. Omega-3 and creatine supplements may also help fight sarcopenia.
Nevertheless, exercising is the most effective way to prevent and reverse sarcopenia.
Resistance exercises appear to be particularly effective, including using resistance bands, lifting weights or doing calisthenics like squats, push-ups and sit-ups.
Jan 18, 2024 · Strength exercises. Lift weights or do exercises like sit-ups, push-ups and squats that use body weight as resistance. Try to do 2 to 4 sessions a week. Balance exercises. Some examples include walking heel to toe in a straight line as if on a balance beam, standing on one leg or standing up from a chair repeatedly. Aerobic training.
The medical definition of sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and function. The condition commonly affects the elderly population and is thought to occur due to aging. Sarcopenia can greatly impact your quality of life by reducing your ability to perform daily tasks.
Sep 6, 2024 · Strength training exercises to try. Standing calf raise. Exercises the calf muscles. Stand with your feet flat on the floor. Hold on to the back of a chair for balance. Raise yourself up on the balls of your feet. Hold briefly, then lower yourself. Do eight to 12 repetitions.
- hhp_info@health.harvard.edu
Jul 9, 2024 · Sarcopenia Causes. Sarcopenia Risk Factors. Sarcopenia Symptoms. 9 min read. What Is Sarcopenia? From the time you are born to around the time you turn 30, your muscles grow larger and stronger....
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Apr 16, 2024 · 7 most common cause (s) Hyperthyroidism. Anorexia Nervosa. ALS. HIV. Mitochondrial Myopathy. Cushing's Syndrome. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. Loss of muscle mass symptoms. Muscles are vital to everyday function, and if you noticeably lose muscle mass — especially without knowing why — it can be frightening.
