The Importance of Muscle Mass

A distinct problem with Usual Ageing is the involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, a process often referred to as sarcopenia. While the loss of the size of the muscle is less important, the accompanying loss of strength and function is critical. With Usual or sedentary Ageing, muscle mass decreases at the rate of 3-8% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60. Muscle mass and strength enables us to maintain function and continue to pursue activities as we age. Muscle mass also helps to maintain our metabolism, which in turn helps us to burn fat. As you may be aware, our metabolism involves the chemical reactions that breaks down the food we eat into sugars, fats, and amino acids. With less muscle mass, and a slower metabolism, our bodies are less able to burn fat.

Importantly a loss of muscle mass results in a loss of strength, which is often accompanied by a loss of balance, instability, frailty, and a reduction in functionality. If the decline is allowed to occur a person may fall below the disability threshold and need assistance to carry out their daily functions.

Most of us want to continue to have an active and healthy lifestyle as we age. We don’t want to have a fear of falling, we would like to be able to lift shopping bags and suitcases, and we’d like to be able to pick up our grandchildren. Accordingly, it is important to maintain muscle mass as we age.

Even if your current Lifestyle places you in the Usual Ageing life curve, in other words, you are sedentary, it’s not too late to start. In fact, if you are sedentary, you will get considerable benefits from doing even a small amount of exercise each day, and the sooner you start the better. Even older persons can gain benefits from muscle maintenance exercise. However, the older you are the more slowly you need to progress, and it is desirable to have a medical checkup before starting and take advice from a professional trainer. If you are an active person who pursues exercise on a regular basis, you may simply need to modify your workouts to include one or two resistance or weight training sessions weekly.

In Summary, Muscle Mass is essential for ageing successfully and maintaining an active life as we age. Muscle mass helps us to retain strength, balance, flexibility and pursue, the key activities we enjoy daily. Maintaining our muscle mass also helps us to maintain our metabolism, which helps us to burn fat even when we are in-active.