While it may begin as a couple of extra aches and pains, a lack of muscle mass can lead to a variety of issues over time.
Beginning around the age of 30, nearly every cell, organ, and biological process begins to deteriorate slightly with each passing year, even though it is initially almost imperceptible. The result of these processes is ageing. One of the earliest and most obvious signs of ageing for the majority of us is the loss of muscle mass and strength.
Lack of muscle mass can cause a number of problems, such as poor balance, frailty, and loss of independence, though it may initially manifest as a few extra aches and pains. Additionally, it has been linked to a wide range of health problems, such as a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even dementia.
Although it’s unclear why muscle mass declines so sharply with age, regular exercise can help to lessen the effects and even postpone some of the inevitable muscle loss. The risk of diseases that can be prevented, the preservation of physical function into old age, and even the improvement of immune function have all been linked to regular physical activity.
Given the significance of muscle to our health, staying active is the best way to maintain it after 30.
But suppose you haven’t engaged in consistent exercise in a few years or have never performed muscle-building exercises.
First and foremost, keep in mind that getting older need not preclude strenuous exercise.
Our findings suggested that, as long as the training was adapted to each participant’s fitness level, both younger and older men recovered similarly from intense muscle-building resistance training.
Prior to starting an exercise programme, it’s crucial to take your abilities into account. After years (or even decades) away from the gym, it’s common for people to try to recreate their old routines or push themselves too hard too soon during their first workouts. It’s crucial to gradually increase your workouts because doing otherwise could result in injury.
The NHS’s physical activity guidelines for people ages 18 to 65 represent the most practical exercise regimen to adhere to. According to this, people should try to be physically active most days and engage in muscle-building activities at least twice a week.
What sort of muscle-building exercises should you perform, though? The truth is that there are a plethora of different resistance exercise options to pick from, and they are all generally equally beneficial.
Although there are many more options available, the stereotype that comes to mind when someone mentions weightlifting is of big, hulking people in a gym.
In other words, if you prefer bodyweight exercises like pilates, resistance bands, or hard work in the garden to lifting barbells, you should aim to do those twice a week.
Enjoyment is important, especially if it encourages you to stick with your new exercise regimens.
Beyond just strengthening your muscles and enhancing your heart health, endurance-based exercises (like walking, running, and cycling) are very beneficial to your overall health. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between daily light exercise and longevity.
However, it’s crucial to avoid doing something beneficial in excess, especially high-intensity, resistance-based training. There are no significant benefits to longevity from engaging in more vigorous, high intensity physical activity than is advised, according to research.
To be clear, this data does not imply that high intensity is unhealthy; it simply shows that more is not always better.
Many older people don’t eat enough protein, in terms of diet. To build and maintain muscle mass, you need a sufficient protein intake, which is even more important if you exercise frequently. All adults should consume a minimum of 0.8 grammes of protein per kg of body mass each day, according to current recommendations.
If you want to gain muscle, you must double this amount to 1.6 grammes per kg of body mass. Therefore, in order to gain muscle, a 70kg person would need to consume about 112g of protein daily. This would be comparable to consuming three eggs, a protein shake, one large chicken breast, and a can of tuna (though it will vary depending on what products you use, so be sure to check the labels).
This appears to be crucial for older individuals who are physically active (over 60 years of age). To help your body absorb as much protein as possible per meal, it’s also a good idea to distribute your daily protein intake evenly.
Even though muscle will inevitably decline with age, regardless of how much you exercise, being physically active frequently is still one of the best strategies we are aware of for maximising lifespan, fitness, and overall health.
And the earlier you develop a habit of exercising, the better off you might be in later life.
by Bradley Elliott, Physiology Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster
