Staying Strong

I started working out with a new trainer recently and he mentioned in passing I was pretty strong. A compliment I was happy to receive! It made me feel good about the commitment to strength training I made about 4 years ago.

But as I thought more about his comment, I found myself thinking more about muscle, how it is impacted by getting older, and how do I keep as much of it as possible as I age.

What is Muscle?

Muscle is comprised of thousands of elastic fibers all banded together. We have 3 types of muscle: skeletal (which attaches to your skeleton by tendons), cardiac (muscles which help your heartbeat), and smooth (muscle which lines the inside of organs such as the bladder).

Muscles work primarily through contraction. Contraction is responsible for nearly all movement in our body. There are “600 muscles in your body. Some muscles help you move, lift or sit still. Others help you digest food, breathe or see.” 

Muscle is important! So how to keep it healthy and functioning properly?

Aging and Muscle

Age related muscle loss is called Sarcopenia. Unfortunately, we all will lose some muscle mass as we age. Unfortunately “less muscle means greater weakness and less mobility, both of which may increase your risk of falls and fractures” over time.

According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, sarcopenia “can begin at around age 35 and occurs at a rate of 1-2 percent a year for the typical person. After age 60, it can accelerate to 3 percent a year. The loss may be mild, moderate, or severe—or muscles can remain in the normal range.”

For women, declining levels of estrogen are a driver of muscle loss. A paper published in the journal Cell Reports showed “that muscle stem cells start to disappear when estrogen levels decline. The repair and rebuilding of skeletal muscles depends on a specific population of stem cells—called satellite cells—found in muscle tissue, and the researchers show(ed) these cells require estrogen to function optimally in females.”

Fortunately Hormone Replacement Therapy may offer some hope. According to an article in Science Daily, “studies have suggested that HRT reduces the impacts of age-related decline in muscle mass and strength.” 

Maintaining strong muscles can help prevent osteoporosis, help with balance, help prevent weight gain, and overall help you maintain a high quality of life. So how to maintain those important muscles you ask?

Maintaining Healthy Muscles

Healthy muscles are toned. This means muscles which can contract and function as they are intended.

Keeping your muscles in optimal working condition requires a healthy diet, exercise, and rest.

Exercise

Resistance training is critical for maintaining muscle mass and strength. The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends strength training a minimum of 2 times per week for adults.

Diet

Eating a healthy diet is key to supporting muscle health and growth. I’m going to devote a significant portion of this section to protein as it critical for muscle health and is perhaps the most misunderstood part of diet.

Getting enough high-quality protein is essential as our bodies don’t produce all the essential amino acids we need. Good sources of protein are meat, fish, eggs, beans & legumes, soy, and some grains. The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram. This is a minimum amount to not get sick, not necessarily the right amount. To calculate the amount of protein you need based on the RDA you can multiply your weight by 0.36.

However, that isn’t the full story. In 2019 researchers convened a “Protein Summit” and “based on the totality of the research presented at the summit…taking in up to twice the RDA of protein "is a safe and good range to aim for." Age, health, and activity levels also need to be taken into consideration in determining correct amounts.

Furthermore, reports following the summit “suggest that Americans may eat too little protein, not too much. The potential benefits of higher daily protein intake, these researchers argue, include preserving muscle strength despite aging and maintaining a lean, fat-burning physique. Some studies described in the summit reports suggest that protein is more effective if you space it out over the day’s meals and snacks, rather than loading up at dinner like many Americans do.”

This aligns with the beliefs of Dr. Gabriel Lyon. She believes “muscle is the organ of longevity. The stronger and healthier your muscle is the more carbohydrates and fat your burn.” She recommends a minimum of 30 grams of protein 3 times per day. You can read more about her work here.

On the flip side, there is limited research to suggest a lower protein diet may have longevity and anticancer benefits, however this evidence is not conclusive.

If you are interested in learning more about a low protein diet for longevity, you can read about Dr. Valter Longo’s work here. You may know him as the creator of the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet.

A final note about protein. There are some medical conditions where a lower protein diet can be beneficial. This is something to discuss with your doctor.

In addition to getting enough protein, eating high quality fats is also important for supporting muscle movement. These include olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts & seeds, and avocado oil.

You also need to get enough vitamins and minerals. This article lists 7 key vitamins and minerals for muscle health and growth as well as recommended amounts. Calcium to support muscle contraction and relaxation. Fish oils to “increase blood flow to the muscles, reduce muscle protein breakdown, and decrease inflammation for faster recovery.” Vitamin C for building collagen and supplying nutrients for muscle growth. Magnesium for muscle relaxation and B vitamins to help with protein metabolism. Vitamin D for muscle contraction and growth and to provide a strong skeleton to which muscles adhere. And vitamin E for muscle recovery.

Rest

During exercise our muscles get tiny tears. Rest is necessary for the repair process for growing new muscle. Rest also helps prevent injury, restores glycogen stores in muscles, and can help with sleep and performance. Resting can be light activities such as walking, yoga and swimming. I try and take 2 rest days per week and on these days I either stretch or go for a mellow walk.

Parting Thought

Keeping up with my kids keeps me motivated to maintain my muscle tone and strength. I dread the thought of having to say, “I would love to join you, but I can’t because I am not strong enough.” I know the day will come, but the longer I can delay it the better!

See you next week…