How to Combat Muscle Loss As You Age

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parts

1Slowing Muscle Loss with Diet

2Preventing Loss of Muscle with Exercise

3Modifying Your Lifestyle to Prevent Loss of Muscle

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Expert Q&A

Tips and Warnings

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As you age, your body changes in a variety of ways. One common change seen in both men and women is loss of muscle mass. This slow decrease in lean muscle is commonly referred to as sarcopenia or age-related diminished skeletal muscle. This decrease in muscle mass and associated decrease in strength can have a significant impact on your health and quality of life. This reduced strength is one of the primary reasons for disability and falls in older adults. To help combat loss of muscle mass, you need to keep in touch with your physician, eat a protein rich diet and stay active. Together, these components can help minimize and prevent the loss of muscle mass over time.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Slowing Muscle Loss with Diet

1. 
   1
   Eat adequate amounts of protein. Protein is an essential nutrient to overall health at any age. However, it takes on a very important role as you age by helping preserve your muscle mass.

   • Studies have now shown that protein needs change as you get older. You actually need more protein each day and at each meal than someone of a younger age.
   • In fact, studies have shown to maximize protein synthesis, you should aim to eat about 25-30 g of protein at each meal. This will generally put your total daily protein goal around 90 g each day.
   • In order to meet these higher protein needs, you'll need to eat 2 servings of protein at each meal. Measure out a 3-4 oz portion of protein at each meal. Try foods like: eggs, poultry, lean beef, pork, low-fat dairy, legumes, tofu and seafood.
   • If you have difficulty chewing tougher or denser foods, choose softer proteins like dairy, eggs, legumes, tofu, seafood and ground meat.
2. 
   2
   Consider drinking a protein supplement. If you have difficulty meeting this need, consider drinking liquid protein supplements daily. These are available over the counter and can help increase your protein needs.

   • Eating 25-30 g of protein at meals can be difficult. This is a high goal for a meal like breakfast. So to help you meet this goal, you can drink a protein supplement.
   • These liquid drinks come in shake form or fruit juice beverage. You can drink this along with your meal to easily meet that high goal of 25-30 g.
   • For example, 2 eggs will give you about 14-15 g of protein. If you add a piece of cheese to that meal, you'll be up to about 20 g of protein. However, this might be too much food for you. Adding a 10-15 g protein supplement can allow you have something smaller but still meet your needs.
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3. 
   3
   Consume an adequate amount of calories each day. Although protein is essential as you age, you also need to make sure you're eating an adequate amount of calories everyday. As you age, you may not eat as frequently which can lead to a an insufficient amount of calories.

   • Older adults may not eat enough calories daily due to a few reasons. As you age, you may find it difficult to chew or digest foods, you may have a decrease in appetite or after the loss of friends or a spouse, may not enjoy eating alone.
   • When you do not eat an adequate amount of calories, your body will naturally begin to lose weight and muscle mass overtime.
   • Everyone's calorie needs are different, but most older adults may need around 1500-1700 calories daily.
   • Also, to make sure that you're eating just the right amount of calories, weigh yourself regularly. You don't want to lose or gain weight. Your weight should only fluctuate a few pounds week to week.
4. 
   4
   Increase your potassium intake with fruits and vegetables. While studies have shown that increased protein is essential to prevent loss of muscle mass, they also showed that increased potassium is just as essential.

   • High levels of protein in your diet can lead to low levels of metabolic acidosis or increased blood acidity levels. This can contribute to both muscle mass and bone loss overtime.
   • However, increased potassium intake can help offset this acidity in the body preventing the negative side effects of increased protein. Both fruits and vegetables are naturally high in potassium and should be included at every meal and snack.
   • Measure out a serving of fruit, vegetables or both at your meals. You need to aim for about 5-7 servings daily.
   • One serving of fruit is 1/2 cup or 1 small piece. One serving of vegetables is 1 cup or 2 cups of leafy greens.
   • High potassium fruits and vegetables include: apricots, bananas, broccoli, cherries, chickpeas, kiwi, lima beans, lentils, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and white beans.
5. 
   5
   Cut down on the amount of grains you consume. The typical Western diet is high in protein and cereal grains while being lower in fruits and vegetables. To help support the formation of muscle mass, cut down on the amount of cereal grains you eat each day.

   • Cereal grains like bread, rice, pasta, and other grain-based foods can still be apart of your diet, but just in smaller amounts. Aim to have 1-2 servings of these foods daily and focus instead on protein, fruits and vegetables.
   • When you do choose to include a grain in your diet, choose 100% whole grains instead of refined grains (like white rice or white bread). These are high in fiber, protein and other nutrients that are beneficial to your diet and health.
   • Also, measure out the appropriate portion size as well. Grains should be measured out to 1/2 cup of cooked grains or about 1 oz per serving.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preventing Loss of Muscle with Exercise

1. 
   1
   Focus on weight bearing cardio exercises. Cardio exercises don't always get included in recommendations for preventing loss of muscle mass. However, weight bearing exercises should be included regularly.

   • Weight bearing exercises are any activity that forces your body to work against gravity.
   • Regular weight bearing exercises have been shown to help prevent the loss of muscle mass, but also prevent the loss of bone mass as well (or osteoporosis).
   • It's typically recommended to do about 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercises each week. Make sure to do them at a moderate intensity.
   • Weight bearing cardio exercises you can do include: walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing sports or dancing.
2. 
   2
   Include regular strength training. When it comes to preserving or increasing muscle mass, strength training plays a critical role. Combined with weight bearing cardio, you'll be able to delay or prevent loss of muscle mass.

   • Strength training exercises help strengthen your muscles and bones. In addition, it can help not only prevent loss of muscle mass, but also increase muscle mass as well.
   • Aim to do strength training exercises at least 1-2 days a week. Work every major muscle group and workout for at least 20 minutes per session.
   • You can try weight lifting, weight lifting classes, yoga or pilates. All of these will help strengthen and build your muscle mass.
3. 
   3
   Regularly increase the intensity and frequency of your workouts. You may not realize, but doing the same work out every week won't maximize your muscle mass. You have to continually increase both the intensity and frequency of your exercises.

   • Studies have shown that if you don't regularly increase the intensity of your exercise (by increasing the heaviness of the weight), your progress will slow or plateau and can even start to reverse itself.
   • To prevent this from happening, regularly increase how much weight you're lifting, how often you're working out and how many reps you do per set.
   • For example, if you've gotten used to lifting 5 pound dumbbells and this is no longer difficult for you, increase to an 8 pound dumbbell. Or if you can easily do a set or 8 bicep curls, increase to 10 or 12 bicep curls per set.
4. 
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   Avoid alcohol after your exercise sessions. An interesting note to remember, is that its not recommended to drink alcohol after you exercise. This can prevent the necessary recovery and repair that eventually leads to stronger and bigger muscles.

   • Drinking alcohol within an hour of exercising can disrupt the flow of hormones that are needed to synthesize and produce new muscle mass.
   • You don't have to completely avoid alcohol the day you exercise, but at least do not consume any within an hour or two of finishing your workout.
   • If you do enjoy a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage in the evening, consider working out in the morning or afternoon so you can still enjoy your drink without worrying about disrupting your hard work.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Modifying Your Lifestyle to Prevent Loss of Muscle

1. 
   1
   Get adequate sleep. Outside of nutrition and exercise, there are other lifestyle factors that you can change to help preserve your muscle mass. Getting adequate sleep is a something that you should be focusing on as well.

   • Health professionals note that its during rest and recovery (during sleep) that the most gains in muscle mass and strength are seen. Without adequate sleep, your body cannot effectively regenerate muscle.
   • In addition, its during sleep that your body releases human growth hormone. This hormone is only released during sleep and helps repair and build lean muscle mass.
   • Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep each night. However, you may need up to 9 hours depending on your body's needs.
   • Shut off all the lights and electronics before you go to sleep. This allows your body to fall into a natural sleep.
2. 
   2
   Take a Vitamin D supplement. Your diet won't always provide enough of every nutrient you need to maintain adequate health. Vitamin D is something you need to consume adequate amounts of to help support muscle mass.

   • Vitamin D is difficult to get into your diet and is more difficult to make from the sun as you age. Studies have shown that upwards of 78% of older adults have a Vitamin D deficiency.
   • Vitamin D is not only important for adequate bone health. Studies have shown that normal levels of Vitamin D are associated with better skeletal muscle function which was associated with increased strength and decreased amount of falls.
   • Older adults typically need about 600-800 IU of Vitamin D each day.
   • Focus on Vitamin D rich foods like fortified milk, egg yolks, fatty fish, or fortified orange juice.
   • If you still need additional Vitamin D, talk to your doctor about taking a daily Vitamin D supplement.
3. 
   3
   Stop smoking. Another lifestyle habit that's been associated with decreased muscle mass and function is smoking. Discontinue this behavior as soon as possible to help improve your muscle mass.

   • For starters, smoking is associated with decreased physical activity and decreased nutrition. These two factors will have a negative effect on your lean muscle mass.
   • Smoking promotes that break down of lean muscle mass and also slows the body's ability to synthesize new muscle mass.
   • If you currently smoke, consider quitting soon. Either try to quit cold turkey or talk to your doctor about taking a prescription medication to make quitting more easy.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  What's an easy way to maintain my muscles?

  

  Pete Cerqua
  Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

  Pete Cerqua is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Pete is also a five-time best-selling author of books including "The 90-Second Fitness Solution" and "High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men" published by Simon and Schuster and Skyhorse Publishing. Pete has over 20 years of personal training and nutrition coaching experience and operates the 90-Second Fitness flagship studio in New York City.

  

  Pete Cerqua

  Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

  Expert Answer

  Be sure you have enough protein in your diet so your muscles can heal and repair themselves. Aim to have 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body weight.

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Tips

• Keep in touch with your doctor regularly as you age. They will be able to monitor your muscle mass and make suggestions for treatment.
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• One of the best ways to combat muscle loss is by eating a protein rich, but well balanced diet.
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• Also stay as active as you can as you age. Regular physical activity with a balanced diet can have a significant impact on your muscle mass.
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