Anyone who has hit middle age, or exceeded it, knows that humans lose muscle as time goes by. It is an unfortunate byproduct of the human aging process. But, how much muscle is lost, and when does the process start?
I recently signed up for health alerts through Harvard Health Publishing (Harvard Medical School). It is already proving to be an amazing resource and I suggest that people reading this article sign up for their alerts too. I received an email recently from Harvard that discussed age and muscle loss.
“As the years pass, muscle mass in the body generally shrinks, and strength and power decline. The process begins earlier than you might think. Sarcopenia—defined as age-related muscle loss—can begin at around age 35 and occurs at a rate of 1-2 percent a year for the typical person.” the email stated. “After age 60, it can accelerate to 3 percent a year. The loss may be mild, moderate, or severe—or muscles can remain in the normal range.”
If learning that information is scary to you, and I assume it is because it was definitely scary for me to read, consider that the rate of muscle loss is more accelerated for people who do not perform resistance training regularly.
“On average, adults who don’t do regular strength training can expect to lose 4 to 6 pounds of muscle per decade.” Harvard stated in their email blast. “Fast-twitch fibers, which provide bursts of power, are lost at a greater rate than slow-twitch fibers, which means you’re not only growing weaker but also getting slower.”
Harvard goes on to point out in their email that “disability is 1.5 to 4.6 times higher in older people with moderate to severe sarcopenia” and that weakened muscles increase the chances of a person experiencing a serious injury due to a fall. That alone is incentive to perform resistance training regularly as you get older.
“For more weight training tips, check out Strength and Power Training for Older Adults, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.” Harvard concluded in its email.
An important component to building and maintaining muscle is eating sufficient protein from quality sources. Check out a previous article on this website that takes a deep dive into protein, and make sure to check out our weightlifting category which is populated with new content on an ongoing basis.
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