It’s no secret that people live longer these days. The average life expectancy in the US was 83.49 years in 2015 and 79.78 in 2000.
While living longer may seem like a good thing, it is only if your health and body allow it.
We often focus on having adequate nutrition and exercising to prevent chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Still, we overlook the benefits of food and exercise over body composition and its long-term impact on health.
As we age, body composition begins to change, physical activity tends to decrease, which causes changes in body composition. If you add a change in diet (or in one’s nutritional status due to health problems), muscle mass begins to decline and is more prone to accidental injuries, chronic joint pain and less tolerance to surgery.
After 50, there is an annual decrease of 1-2% in muscle mass. On average, 5-13% of people aged 60-70 suffer from significant muscle loss. After the age of 80, this number rises to 11-50%.
Why is this data important? The loss of muscle mass causes a decrease in functional capacity in adults and is linked to numerous health risks. This means that when muscle mass begins to decrease, daily activities become more and more strenuous, so the quality of life decreases.
Let’s take a closer look at why being aware of the risks of sarcopenia is so important and how it can be addressed.
What Causes Sarcopenia?
As mention earlier, sarcopenia is thought to be caused by the normal aging process but is more complex. The causes of sarcopenia seem to be many, such as age, lack of proteins, hormonal changes, increased protein pro-inflammatory ( proteins that the body produces and not taken with food), decreased physical activity, cardiovascular diseases, etc …
Let’s look at these factors in more detail.
Age
One study showed that sarcopenia sufferers increased from 4% for men and 3% for women aged 70-75 to 16% for men and 13% for women over 85. This may be due to changes in physical activity, so we are still trying to figure out if this age-relavent loss of muscle can prevent.
Hormonal changes
Hormones play an important role in the aging process as they are involve in developing muscle mass and strength.
Testosterone, in particular, plays a central role in sarcopenia. It contributes to increased muscle mass and activates satellite cells, which support the increase in muscle functions. As testosterone begins to decline with age, muscle protein synthesis decreases and a decrease in the production of satellite cells, which are essential for muscle repair. You can find testosterone for sale and use it on your doctor’s advice.
Lower protein and creatine intake
Another reason aging is often associat with sarcopenia is that older adults have a more challenging time maintaining their regular diet. Adequate protein intake and exercise are significant factors in the prevention and management of sarcopenia. A single protein supplement can slow the loss of muscle mass, but when you also add the right balance of amino acids and creatine, you can increase muscle strength.
Decreased physical activity
Physical inactivity is a significant factor in the development of sarcopenia. Regular resistance exercises can help maintain muscle mass and also increase muscle strength. However, older people tend to be more sedentary than younger people, which can accentuate the effects of sarcopenia.