Age-related muscle loss is natural process called “sarcopenia” that takes place as your anabolic hormones decrease with age. As a result of this sarcopenia is linked with increased risk of osteoporosis, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. After the age of 40, the average “inactive” male will lose 90g of lean muscle mass every year which is a greater loss than women. Research shows that around the age of 40, the first decline in strength is in your forearms, but the greatest overall loss of strength is in the muscles of the lower legs. To keep things simple as you age, strong legs means good health.
“All my clients over the age of 40 and as old as 76 years still perform strength-based exercises in order to train the muscles, heart and lungs. More importantly to stimulate that mind-muscle connection to keep the engine fired up.”
As apart of ageing it is important we are aware of age-related muscle loss that will take place and how we can help slow down this process and fight back stronger with age. Sarcopenia can lead to loss of independence which is becoming a concerning debate for the health service. In other words the ability to perform day-to-day tasks such as lifting, shifting, carrying, sitting down and getting back up becomes much more challenge. The total loss of muscle mass in average lifespan is about 18% for men and 27% for women. After the age of 50, the muscle loss becomes most noticeable in both males and females.
With age, anabolic hormones decrease such as: growth hormone and testosterone. Fat begins to infiltrate muscles or replace the muscle tissue. The effects of age-related muscle loss is associated with sedentary lifestyles which go hand in hand with ageing. I am not going to tell you that walking is bad for you and you can’t eat cakes because your doing more than anyone sat on the sofa which is great. As you age into your 60’s and 70’s, on average muscle strength decreases at a faster rate of 20-40% when compared with younger individuals. This is mainly due to a decline in physical activity which means less force production, less mind-muscle connection, and less activation of your muscles.
Research indicates that elderly muscle can still adapt positively, just like young muscle to strength-based exercise. Therefore when it comes to training with age and being super-fit after the age of 50 then less is more says Dr Peter Herbert. He recently studied track cycling athletes over the age of 50 and the best results for improved leg power, increased aerobic capacity, and fat loss was a result of performing one high intensity workout every five days. A high intensity session must reach 90% of your maximum heart rate or work hard enough so your puffing and unable to speak during the “efforts.” An example session would be six 30-second sprints. The exercise you perform between these high intensity session must meet the NHS guidelines of 150 minutes per week but always be low intensity, simply “ticking over” by walking, swimming or other steady exercises.
“When training with age, always choose more sets over more reps. This reduces the risk of injury whilst increasing volume of training. 5 sets of 8 reps beats 3 sets of 20 reps.”
Other benefits to strength training with age:
-improved bone density which reduces risk of osteaporosis
-increased tensile strength of connective tissues e.g. muscle tendons, and joint ligaments.
-improved ability to perform everyday tasks such as lifting, shifting, and carrying.
-endorphin rush! the feel good factor that lasts all day 😃
Thanks for reading my blog and stay strong!
Healthy regards, Jake Wood.
