Age-Related muscle loss and why you should be exercising!

The one thing that all humans have in common is ageing. Unfortunately, from around the age of 30 we experience a decline in muscle mass, power, endurance and for some, a decline in function.

This gradual decline in muscular ability accelerates as we get older and can have an increasing effect on our everyday function. For some, daily living activities such as standing up from a chair or reaching to a
cupboard become increasingly more difficult. However, it is not all doom and gloom. There is an antidote to this physical ageing process...want to know what it is? Exercise!

Exercise has been shown to literally decrease and for some reverse the effects of physical ageing. It has the ability change our body’s physiology, improve function and decrease the chance of illness. In short there are a multitude of benefits of exercising and very little downsides.

The age-related loss of muscle function and mass is termed sarcopenia derived from the Greek words sarcos (flesh) and penia (loss). It’s definition includes loss of muscle strength, power and reduced function. It increases with age and is a major cause of frailty.

This can have a profound impact on daily life as activities that we take for granted can become hard to do. But why do these changes occur and what can we do about sarcopenia?

Hormonal changes in the body are the primary cause for the involuntary loss of muscle as we age. For men a decrease in testosterone and for women a decrease in estrogen. These two hormones, along with growth factor play a key role in our body’s ability to build and maintain muscle.

If there is no stimulus to muscles, the decrease in hormone levels, will cause our bodies to start naturally decreasing muscle and increasing fat stores.

The main risk factor for developing sarcopenia is lack of exercise. However, a poor diet has also been shown to increase the risk. The table below shows factors that increase anabolic processes in our body (building up new cells and muscle) and catabolic processes (breaking down cells and muscles).

So what does this mean?

Sarcopenia and muscle loss has the potential to take a massive toll on an individual’s functional capacity. In other words, a person’s ability to complete everyday tasks. From getting out of a chair to doing the groceries to spending time with the grandchildren-the list keeps going. As we age, it is super important that we maintain our independence and therefore using the most effective anti-ageing strategy we have (EXERCISE) is at the top of this list.

In a nutshell, to prevent sarcopenia we need to increase anabolic factors and decrease catabolic ones (as per the table above). To do this we need to stimulate muscles in order to become stronger and grow. The most effective way to do this is resistance or weight training. Not only does it encourage the development of muscle cells it has also been shown to increase levels of estrogen, testosterone and growth factor! Having a clean and high protein diet can also help in this muscle-building process.

Resistance training does not have to involve heavy weights and can be something as simple such as body weight exercises. It is important that we challenge our muscles in order to provide enough stimulation for them to grow. It is recommended to include both resistance training and cardiovascular/endurance-based training to get the most benefit from exercise. This is where our team can help guide and progress you to become stronger for longer. Everyone’s exercise plan should be tailored to them and with the help of one of our physiotherapists, exercise physiologists or strength & conditioning coaches you can get the best out of yourself with an individualised program.

The benefits of exercise are endless and are not limited to preventing muscle loss. Not only does it make you feel great, it reduces the risk of other conditions such as osteoporosis (bone breaking down), and helps manage arthritis (takes the stress off joints). With very little downsides and so many benefits, you’d be silly not to exercise!

Want to learn more about how we can help?

Send us an email at reception@optimushealth.com.au or give us a call on 03 9913 8986

Senior Physiotherapist KP

I have taken the measure get ahead of the game at Optimus and give everyone a warning! Regardless of all the reasons why one would all of a sudden take to running like a duck to water (perhaps people isolating at home during COVID!) we saw one too many running related injuries.

We have seen restrictions ease and then be placed back on a few postcodes. This has resulted in various sporting competitions pull the pin on the 2020 season. One thing I will bet my bottom dollar on is that more people will take up running in an effort to stay fit!

Whether its patellofemoral pain syndrome (runners’ knee), Achilles tendinopathy or calf strains, these runners definitely kept us busy and a few of these individuals learnt a few tough lessons. However do not make the same mistake!

The commonalities between each injury are evident. There is a load vs capacity mismatch! Our friends from the strength and conditioning world are awesome at explaining this and is a great way to explain how an individual got to where they are (i.e injured and presenting in front of me for treatment).

Ultimately the main goal is to get you running, and running well!. The general education and advice that I would give to you as a hot tip to not succumb to these dreaded running related injuries includes:
1. At this present moment in time, running is a great way to stay fit and healthy
2. There is a load (e.g. distance, pace) you have to overcome when trying to run.
3. You also have an inherent capacity (e.g strength, endurance, technique) you have that will determine whether your run well, or will fall apart and begin to sustain a few injuries.
4. The good news is to get you running, make sure you’re running well and reduce the chance of injury is to increase your capacity!

Personally - I really enjoy working with this population - most runners want to run and with this goal in mind I often see unparalleled compliance as they apply themselves to a rehab program.

Understanding that sometimes all we need to do is drop to a manageable load where your body can recover well is far better than stopping all together!

Between now and when you want to ramp up your running, lets concentrate on building up your capacity, increase your strength, work on how they are running and address any underlying issues. This is key in ensuring you (p)rehab well and prevent these problems from occurring.