Muscle Loss Due to Aging: How to Preserve Muscle Mass with Aging

Age-related muscle loss, also known as sarcopenia, commonly affects adults over 50 years of age. This decline of skeletal muscle tissue with age is one of the primary causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults leading to decreased quality of life and life expectancy as well.

Can you lose muscle and then gain it back again? It is natural to experience some muscle loss with age, yet there are actions you can take to prevent and even reverse the condition. A healthy diet and regular exercise can reverse sarcopenia, increase the quality of your life and your lifespan.

According to Dr. Matthew Thorpe, MD, Ph.D., in addition to aging, the cause of muscle wasting involves four factors: low physical activity, inflammation, stress, and inadequate calorie and protein intake.

Combine Cardio and Strength Training, Making Each Workout as Dense as Possible.

• If you can’t afford a personal trainer, consider a group class that focuses on cardio and toning. Just a few lessons can be helpful; or a DVD. Even better is a group of friends with the same goal in mind. The buddy system motivates!
• Make a new healthy habit of sneaking in extra workouts throughout the day. Park farther away from work or the grocery store or wherever you go. You can easily fit in an extra 20-minute walk by leaving and returning to your car. Choose stairs over elevators, at least for a few floors. Simple stretching and isometrics while sitting in a chair at your desk or while watching TV.
• The 1-minute work-out for the mind: If only for a minute a day, think about the many things that a toned body will bring you. You can wear flattering clothes instead of boring styles meant to ‘hide’ bulges; get into a bikini with confidence. Of course, more significant benefits include improved functioning and strength and maintaining that for years to come.

Building muscle mass means you are not on the road to sarcopenia, which can lead to a lack of functioning in the everyday world. Imagine not being able to carry a bag of groceries or lift your own carry-on into the overhead bin of an airplane.

According to Noel Bairey Merz, MD, medical director of the Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, "You're helping your bones without drugs. Building bone density by weight training may delay or eliminate the need to go on the ''bone-building'' drugs often prescribed to prevent or reverse osteoporosis.⁷

Building muscle after 60 is a must. The older you get, the more you may have to work to maintain your muscles. Researchers report that men and women over the age of 60 must lift weights more often than younger adults to maintain muscle mass and muscle size.

Muscle loss that occurs as we get older is "one of the most pressing challenges of biomedicine in our aging society." And resistance training, such as lifting weights, is the best means of prevention.⁸

It has been known for millennia that muscle and fat wasting leads to poor outcomes including deaths in chronic disease states. It is usually accompanied by physical inactivity, decreased mobility, slow gait, and poor physical endurance which become common features of the frailty syndrome.⁹

Although pharmaceutical agents targeting multiple biological pathways are being developed, adequate nutrition and targeted exercise remain the gold standard for therapy.¹⁰

Just Because You Lose Muscle Mass Does Not Mean it is Gone Forever.

Dr. Storer states that "Older men can indeed increase muscle mass loss as a consequence of aging. It takes work, dedication, and a plan, but it is never too late to rebuild muscle and maintain it.” … “the best means to build muscle mass, no matter your age, is progressive resistance training (PRT) and diet. Protein is the king of muscle food. The body breaks it down into amino acids, which it uses to build muscle. As with PRT, if you are older, you need more.”¹²

A recent study in the journal Nutrients suggests a daily intake of 1 to 1.3 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of body weight for older adults who do resistance training. For example, a 175-pound man would need about 79 g to 103 g a day. If possible, divide your protein equally among your daily meals to maximize muscle protein synthesis. This is a high amount compared with the average diet, but there are many ways to get the extra protein you need.

The Almased Weight Loss Phenomenon offers high-quality protein as it resets your metabolism to help you burn fat and retain lean muscle tissue. The Almased smoothies are genuinely delicious and can be used for weight loss, weight management, and as a wellness supplement.

When consuming these fantastic shakes during fasting, muscle loss need not occur. Losing fat without losing muscle is entirely reasonable if you follow the Almased plan.

According to one of many happy Almased consumers, Vanda Burana says: "Best product, and it works. I have been drinking Almased for 3 years now. I drink it once a day in the morning after I work out… It is so delicious the way it is. I haven’t gained any weight since I lost 12 pounds 2 years ago…” 

Support your overall wellness efforts by incorporating Almased into your lifestyle, simply because it works!

Dr. Storer states that "Older men can indeed increase muscle mass loss as a consequence of aging. It takes work, dedication, and a plan, but it is never too late to rebuild muscle and maintain it.” … “the best means to build muscle mass, no matter your age, is progressive resistance training (PRT) and diet. Protein is the king of muscle food. The body breaks it down into amino acids, which it uses to build muscle. As with PRT, if you are older, you need more.”¹²

A recent study in the journal Nutrients suggests a daily intake of 1 to 1.3 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of body weight for older adults who do resistance training. For example, a 175-pound man would need about 79 g to 103 g a day. If possible, divide your protein equally among your daily meals to maximize muscle protein synthesis. This is a high amount compared with the average diet, but there are many ways to get the extra protein you need.

The Almased Weight Loss Phenomenon offers high-quality protein as it resets your metabolism to help you burn fat and retain lean muscle tissue. The Almased smoothies are genuinely delicious and can be used for weight loss, weight management, and as a wellness supplement.

When consuming these fantastic shakes during fasting, muscle loss need not occur. Losing fat without losing muscle is entirely reasonable if you follow the Almased plan. 

According to one of many happy Almased consumers, Vanda Burana says: "Best product, and it works. I have been drinking Almased for 3 years now. I drink it once a day in the morning after I work out… It is so delicious the way it is. I haven’t gained any weight since I lost 12 pounds 2 years ago…”

Support your overall wellness efforts by incorporating Almased into your lifestyle, simply because it works!