Why It’s Harder to Build Muscle As You Get Older and How to Overcome It

Elevate Christian Network :: Health and Wellness

Building Muscle for Older Adults: In fact, the average 30-year-old loses about a quarter of her muscle strength by her 70th birthday and half of it by age 90, according to a Harvard Medical School health report called “Strength and Power Training for All Ages.”

Age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia as it’s known in the medical community, is the result of a handful of factors that doctors still don’t fully understand. For starters, your body becomes less efficient at turning protein into fuel; you also have fewer of the nerve cells responsible for sending signals from the brain to the muscles.

Factors to Consider for Older Adults

But researchers believe a cascade of other issues including hormonal changes, inflammation, and other illnesses that become more common as we get older play a role too.

At its most basic, strength training involves using weight to create resistance against the pull of gravity. That weight can be your own body, free weights like barbells or dumbbells, elastic bands, or weighted ankle cuffs.

Research suggests you can use either heavy weights and a small number of reps or lighter weights and more reps to build stronger, more sturdy muscles.  Via businessinsider.com

 

Can You Build Muscle After 50 Years Old? – Lee Hayward

Lee Hayward: A lot of people in their 50’s and older think that they are over the hill and too old to workout. But the truth of the matter is that anyone can workout as long as they are healthy and mobile… Regardless of age.

If you go to any gym these days you will see lots of seniors in the weight room pumping iron, doing cardio, and taking part in fitness classes. In some cases the seniors are in better shape then people half their age.

While it’s totally fine to go to the gym and workout in your fifties, sixties, and beyond. Just realize that your body isn’t going to be able to recover as fast as it could when you were in your twenties. Your natural metabolic and anabolic hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, etc. are not as high and you’ll need to treat your body with more respect.

I recommend following an every other day workout schedule for people in their 50’s and older. This will provide your body with adequate time for rest and recovery between workouts.

Video courtesy: Lee Hayward Total Fitness

 

 

Social Media Comments:

Interval #exercise training improves blood vessel function in older adults: https://t.co/ju5SgrYh1n #HealthTips #HealthyLiving pic.twitter.com/fCIjzQa14O

— Mobile Physio (@MobilePhysioCA) July 9, 2017

Combining Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Works Best for Older Adults https://t.co/EkqW1tEcxG

— Winterset Montross (@RxMontross) July 8, 2017

 

 

More resources:

The molecule that might fight off frailty and foster fitness as we age – USC News Further research shows that mice that received injections of MOTS-c maintain more lean muscle mass, build up less body fat and perform better on tests of physical function than other mice. The treated mice voluntarily run … improves this performance …

 

 

Regular Strength Training Can Reduce the Risk of Diseases – NDTV Food The study found that when generally healthy people performed strength training even for a small amount of time every week (less than an hour), they were able to lower their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 29% in comparison to others who did …

 

 

6 Reasons to Learn to Love Jogging After 50 – Next Avenue Walking is one of the most popular ways for older adults to remain active, being a safe, low-impact activity. However, swapping … Weight lifting is important as you age, allowing you to build muscle, which in turn, helps strengthen your bones …

 

 

Baby boomers fuel wave of products meant to help them live longer and better – The San Diego Union-Tribune The San Diego UnionThe university’s robotics institute is developing software for small robots that “chat” with humans, with the goal of easing the loneliness that many older people feel. The school’s Design Lab is looking at ways to make it easier for seniors to board …

 

 

Images courtesy .Elevate, usc.edu, ndtv.com, nextavenue.org, sandiegouniontribune.com

 

See also: Health & Wellness Channel | Health & Fitness Store on Elevate Christian Network