Your Muscle Will Tell You More About Your Health Than Just Strength
Before you blow by this article keep this in mind, muscle health or should I say lack of muscle health is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, the overall health of your body and the number 1 reason for the loss of our independence as we get older. Do I have your attention? The age-related decline in the amount of muscle you have and its health is medically known as sarcopenia. I became aware of this condition a few years ago, and now that I am in the age range where it becomes more noticeable it has my full attention.
Let’s expand on the loss of muscle mass beyond the connection to heart disease and diabetes. Decreased amounts of muscle and loss of muscle strength and health important risk factors for disabilityand increased mortalityii. Additionally, sarcopenia contributes to falls, fractures, and nursing home admissions [i][ii], hormone imbalances, obesity[iii]and how people respond to cancer treatments[iv].
Who is affected?
Simply put, all of us will be affected by this condition if we live past our 40’s unless we take action to prevent or reverse the condition. The numbers can be scary as you near your 50’s. The average person will lose 1%–2% per year past the age of 50.[v] After the age of 70, the loss increases and ranges from 13 to 24% per decade.[vi] Even though sarcopenia is often seen in people who have an inactive lifestyle, it is not limited to people in this category. Other factors such as diet and nutritional inadequacies also play an important role in the development of this condition.
Symptoms
Symptoms often include weakness, loss of endurance, poor balance and decreased muscle size. What makes these more troubling as that the symptoms often lead to decreased physical activity which contributes to the condition itself.
Solution
At this point, modern medicine does not have a “pill” to take care of sarcopenia, but this doesn’t mean that all is lost. There are three well-documented areas in which one should focus to halt and reverse this condition in its tracks: Increase protein consumption, rejuvenate muscle health and production by consuming the precise amounts of essential amino acids, and increase the number of resistance exercise.
1. Increasing Protein
If you want to steer clear of age-related muscle loss, then you need to make sure you are consuming more protein. Protein provides some of the building blocks your body will use to produce and repair your muscle. Think of it this way; if you are building a wall with bricks and mortar and you only have a few bricks being delivered per day, your workers can only build that wall as fast as the supply of bricks arrives. The question then is how much protein is enough? Research shows that the optimal amounts to be eaten each day should be between 0.6-0.9 grams per pound per day of protein. Translating this information, here are some quick guidelines based on your possible body weight:
100 pounds = 60-90 grams per day
150 pounds = 90-120 grams per day
200 pounds = 120-180 grams per day
250 pounds = 150-225 grams per day
Other than consuming more protein with meals, I suggest adding more protein to your day by consuming these foods: nuts (peanuts have 20.5 grams per half cup, almonds 16.5 grams per half cup) edamame (contains 8.5grams per half cup) and chickpeas (7.25 grams per half cup). On the last two, I have been buying edamame, and chickpea snack mix to travel with or keep on my desk. These “snacks” are crunchy, healthy and fill me up. I also keep almonds around for the same reason. In some cases, adding a powdered protein to your daily routines such as spirulina, whey or other veggie sources can be helpful to provide the body with some of the amino acids needed to produce more muscle.
2. Add Essential Amino Acids
This is an area I became aware of in the last year or so. I was following a company that has been actively researching sarcopenia and healthy solutions and realized the science was more than compelling. Even when we eat protein, this doesn’t assure us that we are:
- Getting all of the essential amino acids required for health and muscle formation.
- Getting the precise amounts of essential amino acids.
Putting these two factors together, the researchers discovered the ideal blend to help rebuild lost muscle and improve overall muscle health and strength. Now with over 17 years of research and 25 clinical trials, we can all take the supplement Rejuvenate. I was so excited about my personal experience and the research that I began working with the company behind Rejuvenate. To me, these are the most compelling studies and reasons to consume Rejuvenate:
- It improves the body’s ability to rebuild and repair muscle by 57 percent.
- Prevented muscle loss and helped rebuild muscle in people confined to bed rest[vii].
- Not only is there a positive muscle response with no exercises, but there is also an increase in effectiveness with exercise[viii].
- Improves the rate of recovery of leg muscle strength following hip surgery by 800-percent[ix].
Simply put, Rejuvenate has a positive effect on rebuilding muscle with or without exercise, prevents muscle loss and speeds recovery.
3. Increase Resistance Exercise
When it comes to muscle mass, the old saying “use it or lose it” is correct. Exercise, and in particular resistance training or strength training is beneficial for preventing sarcopenia. While aerobic exercise is great for burning fat and improving endurance, this approach uses half or less of your muscle cells and can lead to atrophy (muscle loss). Resistance training, on the other hand, helps build both the size and health of muscle. Resistance training affects the body in multiple ways to positively influence the prevention and reversal of sarcopenia. Strength or resistance training also strengthens bones, ligaments, and tendons. Strength training involves using resistance to cause muscle contraction. Muscle contraction builds muscle size and increases strength. For best results, using resistance bands, squats, lunges, push-ups, weight training in differing intervals while increase weight/resistance will provide the best impact for building muscle. These types of activity should be done at least four times per week for best results.
Conclusion
It is clear to say that sarcopenia is more than just age-related muscle loss, strength, and functionality. With sarcopenia having direct and indirect connections to many of the debilitating conditions as well as decreased quality of life and independence, it is critical to integrate three simple steps to prevent and reverse this condition. Making sure that adequate forms and amounts of protein are consumed each day, the addition of the patented essential amino acid formulation Rejuvenate, and the addition of frequent resistance and strength training should be utilized to improve overall muscle health and rejuvenation.
[i]Gillick M. Pinning down frailty [Guest Editorial]. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A,2001;56A: M134-M135
[ii]Visser M, Kritchevsky SB, Goodpaster BH, et al. Leg muscle mass and composition in relation to lower extremity performance in men and women aged 70 to 79: the health, aging and body composition study.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2002;50:897-904.
[iii]Choi K, Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity, The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine. 2016 Nov; 31(6): 1054–1060
[iv]Colloca G, Capua B, Bellieni A, et al., Musculoskeletal aging, sarcopenia and cancer, Journal of Geriatric Oncology December 11, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgo.2018.11.007
[v]Hughes V, Frontera W, Roubenoff W, Evans W, Singh M, Longitudinal changes in body composition in older men and women: role of body weight change and physical activity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition2002 Aug;76(2):473-81.
[vi]Filippin L, Teixeira V, da Silva M, Miraglia F, da Silva F, Sarcopenia: a predictor of mortality and the need for early diagnosis and intervention.Aging Clinical and Experimental Research2015 Jun;27(3):249-54.
[vii]Fitts R, Romatowski J, Peters J, et al., The deleterious effects of bed rest on human skeletal muscle fibers are exacerbated by hypercortisolemia and ameliorated by dietary supplementation, American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology, 293: C313–C320, 2007
[viii]Wolfe R, Skeletal Muscle Protein Metabolism and Resistance Exercise, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 136, Issue 2, February 2006, Pages 525S–528S
[ix]Ferrando A, Bamman M, Schultzer S, et al., Increased Nitrogen Intake Following Hip Arthroplasty Expedites Muscle Strength Recovery, Journal of Aging Research & Clinical Practice Volume 2, Number 4, 2013 369-375
Before you blow by this article keep this in mind, muscle health or should I say lack of muscle health is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, the overall health of your body and the number 1 reason for loss of our independence as we get older. Do I have your attention? The age-related decline in the amount of muscle you have and its health is medically known as sarcopenia. I became aware of this condition a few years ago and now that I am in the age range where it becomes more noticeable it has my full attention.
Let’s expand on the loss of muscle mass beyond the connection to heart disease and diabetes. Decreased amounts of muscle and loss of muscle strength and health important risk factors for disabilityand increased mortalityii. Additionally, sarcopenia contributes to falls, fractures, and nursing home admissions [i][ii], hormone imbalancesvi, obesity[iii]and how people respond to cancer treatments[iv].
Who is affected?
Simply put, all of us will be affected by this condition if we live past our 40’s unless we take action to prevent or reverse the condition. The numbers can be scary as you near your 50’s. The average person will lose 1%–2% per year past the age of 50.[v] After the age of 70, the loss increases and ranges from 13 to 24% per decade.[vi] Even though sarcopenia is often seen in people who have an inactive lifestyle, it is not limited to people in this category. Other factors such as diet and nutritional inadequacies also play an important role in the development of this condition.
Symptoms
Symptoms often include weakness, loss of endurance, poor balance and decreased muscle size. What makes these more troubling as that the symptoms often lead to decreased physical activity which contributes to the condition itself.
Solution
At this point, modern medicine does not have a “pill” to take care of sarcopenia, but this doesn’t mean that all is lost. There are three well documented areas in which one should focus in order to halt and reverse this condition in its tracks: Increase protein consumption, rejuvenate muscle health and production by consuming the precise amounts of essential amino acids, and increase the amount of resistance exercise.
1. Increasing Protein
If you want to steer clear of age related muscle loss, then you need to make sure you are consuming more protein. Protein provides some of the building blocks your body will use to produce and repair your muscle. Think of it this way, if you are building a wall with bricks and mortar and you only have a few bricks being delivered per day, your workers can only build that wall as fast as the supply of bricks arrive. The question then is how much protein is enough? Research shows that the optimal amounts to be eaten each day should be between 0.6-0.9 grams per pound per day of protein. Translating this information, here are some quick guidelines based on your possible body weight:
100 pounds = 60-90 grams per day
150 pounds = 90-120 grams per day
200 pounds = 120-180 grams per day
250 pounds = 150-225 grams per day
Other than consuming more protein with meals, I suggest adding more protein to your day by consuming these foods: nuts (peanuts have 20.5 grams per half cup, almonds 16.5 grams per half cup) edamame (contains 8.5grams per half cup) and chickpeas (7.25 grams per half cup). On the last two, I have been buying edamame and chickpea snack mixes to travel with or keep on my desk. These “snacks” are crunchy, healthy and fill me up. I also keep almonds around for the same reason. In some cases, adding a powdered protein to your daily routine such as spirulina, whey or other veggie sources can be helpful to provide the body with some of the amino acids needed to produce more muscle.
2. Add Essential Amino Acids
This is an area I became aware of in the last year or so. I was following a company that has been actively researching sarcopenia and healthy solutions and realized the science was more than compelling. Even when we eat protein, this doesn’t assure us that we are:
- Getting all of the essential amino acids required for health and muscle formation.
- Getting the precise amounts of essential amino acids.
Putting these two factors together, the researchers discovered the ideal blend to help rebuild lost muscle and improve overall muscle health and strength. Now with over 17 years of research and 25 clinical trials we can all take the supplement Rejuvenate. I was so excited about my own personal experience and the research that I began working with the company behind Rejuvenate. To me, these are the most compelling studies and reasons to consume Rejuvenate:
- It improves the body’s ability to rebuild and repair muscle by 57 percent.
- Prevented muscle loss and helped rebuild muscle in people confined to bedrest[vii].
- Not only is there a positive muscle response with no exercises, there is also an increase in effectiveness with exercise[viii].
- Improves the rate of recovery of leg muscle strength following hip by 800-percent[ix].
Simply put, Rejuvenate has a positive effect on rebuilding muscle with or without exercise, prevents muscle loss and speeds recovery.
3. Increase Resistance Exercise
When it comes to muscle mass, the old saying “use it or lose it” is true. Exercise, and in particular resistance training or strength training is extremely effective for preventing sarcopenia. While aerobic exercise is great for burning fat and improving endurance, this approach uses half or less of your muscle cells and can lead atrophy (muscle loss). Resistance training on the other hand helps build both the size and health of muscle. Resistance training effects the body in multiple ways to positively influence the prevention and reversal of sarcopenia. Strength or resistance training also strengthens bones, ligaments, and tendons. Strength training involves using resistance to cause muscle contraction. The muscle contraction builds muscle size and increases strength. For best results, using resistance bands, squats, lunges, push-ups, weight training in differing intervals while increase weight/resistance will provide the best impact for building muscle. These types of activity should be done at least 4 times per week for best results.
Conclusion
It is clear to say that sarcopenia is more than just age-related muscle loss, strength and functionality. With sarcopenia having direct and indirect connections to many of the debilitating conditions as well as decreased quality of life and independence, it is critical to integrate three simple steps to prevent and reverse this condition. Making sure that adequate forms and amounts of protein are consumed each day, the addition of the patented essential amino acid formulation Rejuvenate, and the addition of frequent resistance and strength training should be utilized to improve overall muscle health and rejuvenation.
[i]Gillick M. Pinning down frailty [Guest Editorial]. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A,2001;56A:M134-M135
[ii]Visser M, Kritchevsky SB, Goodpaster BH, et al. Leg muscle mass and composition in relation to lower extremity performance in men and women aged 70 to 79: the health, aging and body composition study.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2002;50:897-904.
[iii]Choi K, Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity, The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine . 2016 Nov; 31(6): 1054–1060
[iv]Colloca G, Capua B, Bellieni A, et al, Muscoloskeletal aging, sarcopenia and cancer, Journal of Geriatric Oncology December 11, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgo.2018.11.007
[v]Hughes V, Frontera W, Roubenoff W, Evans W, Singh M, Longitudinal changes in body composition in older men and women: role of body weight change and physical activity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition2002 Aug;76(2):473-81.
[vi]Filippin L, Teixeira V, da Silva M, Miraglia F, da Silva F, Sarcopenia: a predictor of mortality and the need for early diagnosis and intervention.Aging Clinical and Experimental Research2015 Jun;27(3):249-54.
[vii]Fitts R, Romatowski J, Peters J, et al, The deleterious effects of bed rest on human skeletal muscle fibers are exacerbated by hypercortisolemia and ameliorated by dietary supplementation, American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology, 293: C313–C320, 2007
[viii]Wolfe R, Skeletal Muscle Protein Metabolism and Resistance Exercise, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 136, Issue 2, February 2006, Pages 525S–528S
[ix]Ferrando A, Bamman M, Schultzer S, et al, Increased Nitrogen Intake Following Hip Arthroplasty Expedites Muscle Strength Recovery, Journal of Aging Research & Clinical Practice Volume 2, Number 4, 2013 369-375