Sarcopenia; age related muscle loss. I’d never heard the word describing it before the other day. We’re all pretty aware of what it is, but I’ll bet you thought it just happened to you when you got old, right? But here’s the scary part… did you know that lean muscle mass deteriorates at a rate of about 3-8% per decade after 30? According to the U.S Dairy Export Council, it affects more than 20% of the population between 60 and 70, and then 50% of those over 80. But the good news is you can start today to turn that around for yourself.
So it’s pretty important to start right now. Especially if you want to enjoy an active lifestyle for many decades to come. Here are 3 things you can do right now!
The three key ingredients to stave off sarcopenia to enjoy life well into the future…
- high quality whey protein
- vitamin D
- resistance exercises
The first important factor to stop sarcopenia is to be sure you’re getting your protein. But not just any protein; it needs to be high-quality whey protein. When getting sufficient high quality whey protein, our bodies support amino acid formation. This in turn helps our bodies promote it’s natural muscle replacement process.
Just as important as getting in high quality protein is the timing. Spreading that protein intake evenly throughout the day is important too. Think about your diet regime for a moment. Does it go something like this; cereal or a bagel and juice for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, then a big dinner loaded with protein? If so you may want to rethink your meals. Our bodies need a continuous intake of high quality whey protein to help build, maintain, and protect muscle health.
Another good idea when timing your protein intake is to get it into your body right after a workout. This will maximize your workout, and it gives you an extra muscle growth and building boost.
The second important factor to stop sarcopenia is Vitamin D. Research is showing that vitamin D is really important to maintaining muscle mass. Nearly 30% of adults in the US have insufficient vitamin D intake. And If your BMI is over 30 you’re at an even higher risk to low vitamin D. Another benefit; improved muscle mass improves our balance as we age too.
The third important factor to stop sarcopenia is resistance exercise. Whatever you enjoy doing; squats, lunges, lifting weights, using bands; resistance training preserves and builds lean muscles. The good news is no matter where we are we can always get better. We need just 3 days a week of strength exercising to support and maintain muscle mass.
Looking for help to get on track ~ I’ve got some excellent programs that take the guesswork out of sourcing high quality source of protein and vitamin D. As for the resistance training you’re on your own!