We often think of muscles as being aesthetically pleasing. But having sufficient muscle on your body is much more important than how good you look when you flex in the mirror. Our bodies contain over 650 muscles and without them we wouldn’t be able to do all the daily things that we do. Muscles control every movement we make—from helping us carry groceries to walking with proper balance. They’re also constantly working behind the scenes, even when we’re sedentary—helping us sit upright, breathe, and regulate essential processes like circulation and metabolism.
Losing muscle mass is a natural part of aging, often referred to as sarcopenia. But you may be surprised to hear that it can begin as early as your 30s. Starting in this decade, your body will begin to lose anywhere from 1% to 2% of muscle mass per year. By age 60, this can increase to 3% loss per year. This could equate to 4 to 6 pounds per decade in adults who aren’t actively working to counteract this through methods like strength training.
Insufficient muscle can make us more prone to falls, frailty, and weakness that can get in the way of our daily lives. That’s why maintaining muscle is one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term health. It’s not just about looking strong—it’s about staying strong so you can remain independent, resilient, and active as you age.
The good news? Aging doesn’t have to mean getting weaker. With the right strategies, you can combat the effects of muscle loss and preserve your strength and physical function well into your golden years. Read on to learn how.
What causes muscle decline
Fast-twitch muscle fibers—also known as type II muscle fibers—are the cells in your muscles that enable you to make quick movements. Think: You’re running at full speed, see an obstacle in the road, and are able to stop yourself before you trip on it and fall. If you don’t keep these muscle fibers active, they begin to weaken and disappear over time. This can begin as early as your mid to late 30s if you’re not working to counter the effects of this age-related muscle loss. Hormonal shifts with age and menopause have been linked to reduced muscle mass, osteoporosis, and osteopenia.
While some muscle loss happens naturally, there are other things that can affect it. Additional factors that could lead to reduced muscle include:
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Chronic conditions like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV
- Inadequate protein intake or malnutrition
- Insulin resistance
When it comes to health, muscle mass is one of the best predictors of longevity and functional independence. A report from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research found that people with sarcopenia had 2.3 times the risk of suffering a low-trauma fracture from a fall, like a broken leg, arm, wrist, collarbone or hip. Disability is 1.5 to 4.6 times higher in older adults who have moderate to severe sarcopenia than in those with normal muscle mass. And studies have shown that 30% of older adults have a hard time standing up from a chair or climbing stairs due to weakened muscles. These mobility issues are associated with an increased risk of falls, chronic disease, nursing home admission, and mortality.
Sarcopenia is a progressive and often invisible condition until its advanced. It’s often dismissed as “getting older” until it rears its head in more severe forms. Difficulty opening jars can lead to having a hard time getting off a chair and eventually to taking a bad fall when getting up to walk across the room. And some people may have muscle loss from an undiagnosed condition that also doesn’t show symptoms until later stages, such as chronic kidney disease—often referred to as “a silent killer.”
Evidence-based strategies to maintain muscle mass and function
Fortunately, there are ways in which you can work to build and preserve your muscles as you get older. Here are a few things to try:
Resistance training:
When it comes to restoring muscle, exercise that involves pushing or pulling against the resistance of an object, like your own body weight (doing activities like yoga, pushups or squats), resistance bands, gym machines, or free weights, is the first place to start. And you can reap the benefits at any age. One study found that resistance training was effective in slowing—and in some cases even reversing—the effects of age-related muscle loss, even in people who didn’t start weight lifting until after age 70.
Related: 7 yoga poses for better posture and muscle symmetry
When lifting weights, choose a set of hand weights heavy enough to tire your muscles after 12 to 15 reps. Don’t have time for many sets? That’s okay. Research has found that one set of repetitions with proper weight can be as effective as three sets—as long as you’re working your muscles to the point of fatigue. Aim for two to three 20-minute to 30-minute full body weight lifting sessions per week.
Prioritize protein:
Protein is fundamental for maintaining and repairing muscle, and its importance grows as we age. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is set at about 0.36 grams per pound of body weight per day (roughly 56 g/day for a 154-lb adult). But it’s important to know that the RDA reflects a baseline for adequacy in healthy adults—it’s not intended as an optimal target for building or preserving muscle.
For people aiming to support strength, function, or recovery, research supports higher intake levels: ~0.64–0.91 grams per pound of body weight per day for most exercising adults, with benefits plateauing around 0.73 g/lb/day when combined with resistance training. In older adults, experts recommend at least ~0.45 g/lb/day, and often more, especially during illness or rehabilitation, to preserve muscle and independence.
Aim to distribute protein evenly across meals and snacks. Foods like eggs, dairy, salmon, lean meats, legumes, soy, nuts, and seeds provide high-quality protein.
Timing your protein intake around your workouts may further enhance gains in strength and lean mass. Some research suggests the best time to eat protein is immediately after resistance training or during your last meal of the day.
Get sufficient sleep:
Research has linked poor sleep quality and duration with an increased risk for muscle mass reduction. Sleep is a crucial time for the body to rest and repair, and this includes your muscles. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. And prioritize sleep banking over sleep catch up. So if you know you’re going to have a sleepless night, it’s better to sleep more the days leading up to it to prepare versus trying to play catch up with extra sleep after the fact.
Take time to recover:
Working out puts stress on your body, as tiring out your muscles causes tiny tears that eventually lead to them growing bigger and stronger. Thus, giving your muscles some downtime to heal can help them to build and repair behind the scenes. On days you aren’t lifting weights, try something different like yoga, foam rolling, stretching, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. And as a general rule, aim to take at least 48 hours of rest for a muscle group after working it. So if you worked your triceps, give it a few days before you hop back into more tricep dips.
Manage inflammation:
Chronic, low-grade inflammation—often referred to as “inflammaging”—plays a significant role in age-related muscle decline. And when the body is in a constant state of inflammation, it makes it harder to repair and rebuild muscle, which can speed up muscle decline. Help to keep your inflammation levels in check by eating more anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits, green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, olive oil and nuts; staying physically active, getting enough sleep; and managing stress through practices such as meditation or yoga.
The importance of tracking your muscle mass
You can’t measure what you can’t see. Muscle loss and hidden imbalances that could increase your risk of falls, poor posture, or reduced mobility often develop quietly over time. And conditions like kidney disease that lead to chronic inflammation that can impact muscle mass can often go undetected until later stages.
Related: How to fix your muscular imbalances — and why
In addition to scanning the body for hundreds of conditions, such as kidney concerns, Prenuvo’s Enhanced Screening includes body composition analysis, which can help reveal detailed information about your muscle volume, fat distribution, and potential asymmetries. This can enable you to identify areas of weakness and optimize your training, which may reduce the risk of injury before problems arise. And tracking these trends over time can allow you to check in and see if your training and lifestyle habits are working.
Related: What you get in your Prenuvo Body Composition Report
You can’t stop aging, but you can shape how you age. With resistance training, proper protein, quality sleep, recovery, inflammation management, and regular body composition tracking, you can set yourself on a path to staying strong, independent, and active for many years to come.
See your muscle mass, spot imbalances, and take control of staying strong. Schedule a call to learn more about our Enhanced Screening today.
.png)
