Logan Steele
Losing muscle mass is a normal part of aging, but it can also be caused by a lack of physical activity, poor diet, and other factors. Strength training, also known as resistance or weight training, is crucial for building and retaining muscle. This type of training involves challenging your muscles through exercises like weight lifting, using resistance bands, or your own body weight. In addition to strength training, maintaining muscle mass requires proper nutrition, including adequate protein intake and a balanced diet. While it is natural to experience some muscle loss with age, it is important to take proactive measures to slow down this process and maintain muscle health, as it has a significant impact on overall physical and mental well-being.
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What You'll Learn
Strength training and progressive resistance training (PRT)
Strength training is an essential part of maintaining an active lifestyle as you age. Research shows that older adults see even greater improvements in their muscle strength compared to younger adults. Strength training can help you maintain and rebuild muscle at any age.
There are many ways to perform strength training, including using dumbbells, resistance bands, weight machines, or your body weight. Before each session, it is important to warm up with either five minutes of dynamic stretching or cardio exercise. If you are new to strength training, start with one set of 8-15 repetitions for each muscle group, and gradually work your way up to three sets of each exercise. It is important to pick a weight that is challenging but manageable, and to consistently commit to a routine.
Progressive resistance training (PRT) is a type of strength training where participants exercise their muscles against some type of resistance that is progressively increased as their strength improves. Common equipment used for PRT includes exercise machines, free weights, and elastic bands. PRT has been shown to be effective for improving physical functioning in older people, including improving strength and the performance of some simple and complex activities.
To avoid a plateau, where your body adapts to the type of exercise you are doing, you can employ the progressive overload principle. This involves gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in your strength training routine, challenging your body and allowing your musculoskeletal system to get stronger.
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Consuming protein, carbs, and calories
Muscle retention and growth are influenced by several factors, including age, exercise, and diet. While strength training is essential for building and maintaining muscle, nutrition also plays a crucial role.
Protein is often referred to as the "king of muscle food." It is broken down by the body into amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle. As we age, our bodies may experience anabolic resistance, making it harder to break down and synthesize protein. Therefore, older adults may require a higher protein intake, ranging from 1 to 1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight for those engaging in resistance training. Animal sources such as meat, eggs, and milk are considered ideal due to their complete amino acid profiles. However, protein powders can also be a convenient way to boost protein intake.
Carbohydrates, contrary to popular belief, are equally important in muscle retention and growth. They are our body's preferred source of energy and can delay muscle breakdown when consumed before and after physical activity. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which provides the energy needed for physical activity. If there is excess glucose, it is stored as glycogen in our muscles and liver. Consuming carbohydrates after exercise helps replenish these glycogen stores, preventing muscle breakdown and promoting growth. Additionally, carbohydrates enhance the role of insulin in transporting nutrients into the cells, including our muscles.
To maximize muscle growth and recovery, it is recommended to consume a meal or drink with a carbohydrate-to-protein ratio of three-to-one or four-to-one within 30 minutes after a workout. For example, chocolate milk, which contains carbohydrates and protein, is an excellent choice.
In summary, while protein is essential for muscle growth, carbohydrates play a critical role in providing energy, enhancing insulin function, and preventing muscle breakdown. Therefore, consuming adequate protein and carbohydrates is crucial for retaining and building muscle mass.
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Testosterone levels
Testosterone is the main androgen and plays a key role in building muscle mass. It stimulates the development of male characteristics and is essential for sperm production. Men usually have much higher levels of testosterone than women. Testosterone helps build muscle by generating proteins, which then increases muscle strength.
As men age, their testosterone levels naturally decline, starting around age 40, and decreasing by about 1 to 2% each year. Over a third of men over 45 have testosterone levels below the normal range for their age. Symptoms of low testosterone include fatigue, depression, hair loss, and decreased muscle mass and strength. Low testosterone can also cause an increase in fat, especially in the gut, which further reduces testosterone levels.
While low testosterone can make building muscle harder, it is not impossible. Strategies to build muscle with low testosterone include strength training, a healthy diet, and good recovery habits. Strength training and multi-joint exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and presses can help stimulate the production of proteins in a similar way to testosterone. Eating more protein, such as lean meats, fish, eggs, and plant-based proteins, can help repair muscle and build strength. Healthy fats like salmon, avocados, and nuts can also support overall hormone health. Getting adequate sleep of 7-8 hours per night is important for muscle recovery, especially since low testosterone can affect sleep.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is an option for men with significantly low levels of testosterone and symptoms such as those mentioned above. However, there is some controversy about which men should be treated with TRT, as many men with normal testosterone levels may experience similar symptoms.
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Weight-bearing exercises
Muscle loss, or sarcopenia, is a natural part of aging. It typically begins around age 30, with people losing muscle mass at a rate of 3-5% per decade. Strength training is an effective way to combat this loss and rebuild muscle at any age.
Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include:
- Walking, especially on flat ground or a treadmill, is one of the easiest and most effective weight-bearing activities, especially for those with osteoporosis.
- Stair climbing is another weight-bearing exercise that enhances spinal health and improves balance.
- Standing and doing a shoulder press with dumbbells challenges your balance and improves overall fitness.
- Single-leg balance and lateral leg raises are examples of standing bodyweight exercises that provide weight-bearing benefits.
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional or a qualified instructor before starting a new exercise regimen, especially if you have osteoporosis. They can advise on the right exercises and techniques to ensure safety and effectiveness.
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Muscle-strengthening exercises
Strength training involves exercises that make your muscles work harder than usual, increasing their strength, size, power and endurance. This type of training can be done using your body weight, free weights, resistance bands, weight machines, or simply by working against resistance.
It is recommended to do muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week, for 20 minutes or more. Toe stands, squats, and planks are examples of exercises that can be done at home with minimal equipment. For toe stands, face the back of a chair with your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly lift yourself onto your toes, pause, and slowly lower. For squats, stand in front of a chair with your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, lower into an almost-seated position, count to four, pause, and stand up. For a plank, get into a push-up position and hold yourself straight like a plank.
It is important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts. Warm up before each session with dynamic stretching or cardio, and start with one set of 8-15 repetitions for each muscle group, gradually working your way up to three sets.
In addition to strength training, a diet rich in protein is crucial for muscle retention and growth. As you age, your body requires more protein to maintain muscle strength. Animal sources such as meat, eggs, and milk are considered the best due to their complete amino acid profiles.
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Frequently asked questions
There could be many reasons why you are struggling to retain muscle. Firstly, it is normal to experience some reduction in muscle mass, strength and function as we age, in a condition known as sarcopenia. Other reasons could include not getting enough protein, not exercising enough, or not getting enough sleep.
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.
Health.gov's Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest you plan at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week to maintain cardiovascular health. It is recommended that children and teens do muscle-strengthening activities at least three days a week. For adults, two to three strength training sessions per week are enough to see results.
Weight-bearing exercises are key to building muscle and improving bone health. This includes exercises that use dumbbells, resistance bands, weight machines, or your body weight. Power yoga is also recommended as it requires strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular aspects.
Yes, building muscle can improve your overall metabolic health and reduce your risk of age-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Strength training can also improve the way your body processes food to help prevent diabetes and related diseases, as well as lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases.
