As humans age, they gradually begin to lose muscle mass after the age of roughly 30 to 40 years old. Those who are physically inactive tend to lose roughly 0.5% of lean muscle mass annually between the ages of 25 to 60. From age 60 on, the rate of loss doubles, to about 1%. It doubles again at age 70; again at age 80, and then again at age 90. In addition to this loss in lean muscle mass, there is a corresponding loss in strength as well. This condition of a loss of muscle mass as we age is referred to as sarcopenia.
There are several basic factors that contribute to this continous loss of muscle mass, especially for those who are physically inactive. Perhaps the main contributor is simply the aging process and the general wear and tear placed on the body as we age. The production of testosterone and human growth hormone also declines as we age, making it more difficult for an older man to maintain and perhaps build muscle compared to someone in their early twenties. It must be considered that testosterone is a primary component in the muscle building and maintaining process, especially for men who have a much higher level than women. There are also several other factors that may contribute to sarcopenia.
Though this may seem to be a virtually impossible problem to avoid, rest assured, there is a major way to decrease the rate of sarcopenia as we age. This crucial method includes incorporating some form of resistance, anaerobic training into your everyday life as well as consuming a well-rounded diet. According to the University of New Mexico, resistance training has been shown to positively influence the neuromuscular system, hormone concentrations, and especially improve protein synthesis rates. The increase in the rate of protein synthesis has been seen to increase within as little as two weeks, in fact, has been reported that levels increased up to 182% from baseline in seven 78 to 84 year olds with supervised resistance training.
In order to achieve substantial benefits from this however, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. For example, one must perform 8 to 10 exercises targeting all the major muscle groups, while focusing on multi-joint exercises as opposed to single-joint isolation exercsises. Also, 10 to 15 repetitions each set is recommended with a "somewhat hard" rate of exertion. The ACSM recommends that 1 set per exercise is sufficient, but studies have yielded that 2 to 3 sets have been proven to be much more sufficient. Lastly, resistance training should be performed at least 2 times per week with at least 48 hours of rest between training sessions.
By performing resistance training as we age, we allow ourselves to become stronger, thus reducing the incidence of having accidents such as falling due to weakened muscles as well become more mobile and agile. Although we do not have complete control over the aging process, we surely have the ability to reduce and perhaps even reverse the onset of conditions such as sarcopenia.
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/sarcopenia.html
There are several basic factors that contribute to this continous loss of muscle mass, especially for those who are physically inactive. Perhaps the main contributor is simply the aging process and the general wear and tear placed on the body as we age. The production of testosterone and human growth hormone also declines as we age, making it more difficult for an older man to maintain and perhaps build muscle compared to someone in their early twenties. It must be considered that testosterone is a primary component in the muscle building and maintaining process, especially for men who have a much higher level than women. There are also several other factors that may contribute to sarcopenia.
Though this may seem to be a virtually impossible problem to avoid, rest assured, there is a major way to decrease the rate of sarcopenia as we age. This crucial method includes incorporating some form of resistance, anaerobic training into your everyday life as well as consuming a well-rounded diet. According to the University of New Mexico, resistance training has been shown to positively influence the neuromuscular system, hormone concentrations, and especially improve protein synthesis rates. The increase in the rate of protein synthesis has been seen to increase within as little as two weeks, in fact, has been reported that levels increased up to 182% from baseline in seven 78 to 84 year olds with supervised resistance training.
In order to achieve substantial benefits from this however, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. For example, one must perform 8 to 10 exercises targeting all the major muscle groups, while focusing on multi-joint exercises as opposed to single-joint isolation exercsises. Also, 10 to 15 repetitions each set is recommended with a "somewhat hard" rate of exertion. The ACSM recommends that 1 set per exercise is sufficient, but studies have yielded that 2 to 3 sets have been proven to be much more sufficient. Lastly, resistance training should be performed at least 2 times per week with at least 48 hours of rest between training sessions.
By performing resistance training as we age, we allow ourselves to become stronger, thus reducing the incidence of having accidents such as falling due to weakened muscles as well become more mobile and agile. Although we do not have complete control over the aging process, we surely have the ability to reduce and perhaps even reverse the onset of conditions such as sarcopenia.
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/sarcopenia.html
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