Muscle Mass, Strength, and Longevity

When optimizing our health and longevity, prioritizing muscle mass and muscle strength are critically important considerations. The changes that occur to our muscles as we age are profound. These changes, as we will discuss, can have dramatic effects on our health. Muscle mass starts to diminish as early as our 40’s. That’s not old! Muscle mass loss and decreases in muscle strength ramp up dramatically as we enter our 60’s. If we do not optimize our muscle strength and muscle mass when we are younger, then the risks of muscle loss multiply and are harder to overcome as we age. This post is going to cover how muscle mass affects our overall health, why we lose muscle as we age, and how we can fight back against these changes.

Sarcopenia should be a four-letter word:

Sarcopenia is a fancy word for age-related loss of muscle mass. Sarcopenia, or the decline of skeletal muscle tissue with age, is one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults. Sarcopenia starts to appear in our 40s!!! Loss of muscle mass is predictive of a shorter lifespan, and worse recovery after injury or surgery. The causes of sarcopenia are debated, but it appears to be multifactorial, with neurological decline, hormonal changes, chronic inflammation, sedentary behavior, chronic illness, and poor nutrition, all looking to be related and contributing to the decline.

Our muscle tissue accounts for more than 50% of our body mass. Our muscles are essential…