Thanks to advances in public health, nutrition, and medicine, more and more of us will live into our 80s, 90s and, possibly, beyond.

But what good is a long life unless you’re healthy and independent enough to enjoy it?

A lot of focus for successful aging has focused on muscle strength, and rightly so. Without muscle strength, we lose mobility.

However, muscle loss is also the gateway to the routine metabolic decline associated with aging. Here’s why and how to stop it…

The role of muscle in metabolic health

Imagine you’re in your middle age or beyond. It’s possible that your muscle mass is decreasing, and along with it, your strength and ability to perform daily tasks.

This shrinking of muscle mass is known as sarcopenia. It will lead to a loss of function and independence if it isn’t reversed. But what many don’t know is that muscle loss can increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.

That’s because muscle is a major contributor to resting metabolism. The muscle serves as a reservoir, taking glucose and lipids (fats) from the bloodstream and storing them where they can be used for energy.

There, it also acts as a buffer of amino acids during what are known as periods of catabolic stress, which is often associated with critical illness. This is why markers of muscle health can predict outcomes for patients admitted to intensive care units, including how long someone may be on a ventilator or their risk of surviving their hospitalization. In other words, mortality.

Understanding the significance of maintaining healthy muscle tissue is crucial for living a long and healthy life, for reasons many of us may not have considered.

The best way to strengthen mature muscles

Beginning around age 50, we lose about one percent of our muscle mass per year. At the same time, we lose muscle strength at the rate of about three percent per year.

And if we become bedridden for any length of time due to illness or injury, our muscles will shrink even more…

For example, if you walk regularly, but then an injury or illness keeps you from getting your steps in for two or three weeks, changes can occur quickly enough to disrupt blood glucose control and impair the body’s ability to build muscle from dietary protein.

But life happens. Fortunately, researchers at McMaster University have found one exercise in particular can tap into the “plasticity” of our muscle tissue to work to our advantage…

Their research has shown that resistance exercise (strength training), even when performed sporadically and with lighter loads, can effectively offset muscle losses during periods of reduced activity in older people.

They also found that between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of daily protein consumption is ideal for improving muscle growth. This protein should come from a mixture of animal sources, like meat and dairy, and plant-based sources, like legumes.

If you’re a woman, consider taking an omega-3 supplement regularly. In research involving women, the nutrient was found to lessen muscle loss during periods of immobility and more than doubled the amount of strength women gained from exercise.

Now that you know how don’t let anything hold you back from living the long and healthy life you deserve.

Sources:

Protecting your muscle is vital for healthy aging here’s why — Science Alert

Healthspan vs lifespan the vital role of muscle in successful aging — The Conversation

Low-load resistance training during step-reduction attenuates declines in muscle mass and strnegth and enhances anabolic sensitivity in older men — The Physiological Society

The effects of whey, pea, and collagen protein supplementation beyond the recommended dietary allowance on integrated myofibrrillar protein synthetic rates in older males: a randomized controlled trial — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition