The Important Role of Muscle Mass as We Age

People tend to experience muscle loss as they age; this is a part of the aging process. You will likely begin to lose an average of 5% of your muscle mass every 10 years. What can you do to prevent muscle loss?

Loss of Muscle Mass – Signs of Aging

What Is the Role of Muscle Mass?

When it comes to fitness, our muscle mass is really important. When you gain muscle, your body constantly consumes energy and fat. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your body can burn calories/energy. This causes an increase in your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which aids in weight loss. There are three main types of muscle:

Skeletal muscle – exist throughout your whole body
Smooth muscle – is in your internal organs
Cardiac muscle – the muscle of your heart

Why Are Muscles Important as We Age?

As you age, your body undergoes various changes which can result in different health complications including increased blood pressure, weight gain, heart and lung disease, trouble breathing and walking. This all can be the result of the loss of muscle mass.

Muscle mass has many different roles in various parts of our overall health, which includes:

Maintaining regular body functions. Sarcopenia is a typical loss of muscle that occurs as we age. This not only influences our regular physiological activities such as walking, standing, and lifting items, but it also renders people more prone to chronic illness.
Regulating blood pressure. The study suggests that weight lifting might produce a transient increase in blood pressure, which can be harmful to those with cardiovascular problems.
Regulating body fat levels. Increased body fat levels can cause a variety of significant health problems, ranging from heart disease to high blood pressure to excessive stress on joints and bones.

What Can You Do to Prevent Loss of Muscle Mass?

Muscle growth rises when the muscles are constantly challenged to deal with a more significant resistance or weight. This is referred to as muscular hypertrophy. Muscular hypertrophy occurs when the muscle fibers are damaged or injured.

The body heals damaged fibers by fusing them, increasing muscle growth and size. Certain hormones, such as testosterone, human growth hormone, and insulin growth factor, have a role in muscle development and repair as well.

That’s how the mechanism of muscle building works, following that. You can maintain your muscle mass as you age with:

Strength training

According to studies, engaging in muscle-strengthening exercises which incorporate all major muscle groups at least twice a week is essential for maintaining muscle mass. These exercises include:

Bodyweight training like squats, situps, pushups, pullups
Resistance band exercise
Lifting weights

Cardiovascular activity

This is widely known as aerobic exercise or “cardio” for short; it’s a series of hyperactive activities that train your body endurance and a quick way to burn calories. Cardio is crucial for overall health. Adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity physical exercise each week.

Muscle growth and function can be aided by regular cardio. It also improves general fitness, which may assist in minimizing the chance of injury.

What Is the Most Suitable Exercise for Maintaining Muscle Mass?

Middle-aged couple training stretching doing yoga exercises together_ Body

Though strength training and cardio activities are extremely helpful when it comes to regaining your youthful muscle mass and body strength. However, not all of these intense exercise routines are suitable for you. Depending on your age and your personal fitness, the routines can vary. Older adults should avoid doing these exercise:

High-intensity interval training
Upright row
Long-distance running
Bench press
Heavy weight lifting

Instead, you should try:

Body weight workouts
Pilates
Yoga
Swimming or water aerobics
Dumbbell strength training

Are There Any Other Alternatives?

Besides working out and exercising to train your body and maintain your muscle mass, there are also other ways for you to do it with the help of medical advancement.

Growth Hormone Replacement

As you age, the hormone levels in your body shift due to various health complications, including decreased bone density, heart diseases, and loss of muscle mass. The growth hormone promotes the liver to produce more IGF-1, which triggers muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth. That’s why a method to manage and maintain your hormones at optimal levels is also essential for preventing muscle loss from aging.

Growth hormone replacement uses this mechanism to enhance muscle development further and prevent muscle mass loss due to aging.

Testosterone Therapy

Another hormone that can help you fight back muscle loss is testosterone. The declining testosterone levels can lead to various problems, especially for men. Not only that, but testosterone will also help you with:

Erectile dysfunction
Hot flashes
Insomnia
Mood swings
Decreased libido
Trouble focusing
Weight gain
Increase body fat
Low energy levels and fatigue
Decreased bone density

At YM, you can be sure to get the best possible treatment for your loss of muscle mass. With a team of dedicated healthcare providers with years of experience in bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy in a variety of formats from:

Mouth patches
Skin patches
Testosterone pellets
Testosterone gel
Testosterone injection

All carefully personalize according to each patient’s needs.

Our muscle mass plays a huge role in our overall health, from helping blood circulation to body movement. Muscle loss is a natural part of the aging process. Still, all of that can be prevented with the help of consistent physical activity like doing cardio and strength training. In addition, hormone treatments such as growth hormone replacement and testosterone therapy can also be the solution for you.

Start taking countermeasures and prevent muscle loss from aging with YM.

Get SAFE, EFFECTIVE, and CUTTING-EDGE therapies for health optimization at YM. Contact us to schedule your FREE consultation at our four offices in Florida, Ocala, Fruitland Park, and Daytona. 2020 is DONE. Let’s SLAY 2021!

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YM_0821_infographic The Important Role of Muscle Mass in Our Health As We Age

The Important Role of Muscle Mass in Our Health As We Age