Prevents sarcopenia, loss of strength and muscle mass

As you age, many changes occur in your body. This happens because of the aging factor. Being older makes parts of your body decrease in function, including muscles. That's why older people lose muscle mass and make themselves less strong. This loss of muscle mass is known as sarcopenia. Is there a way to prevent sarcopenia?

What is sarcopenia?

The loss of muscle mass and muscle strength associated with aging is known as sarcopenia. A decrease in muscle mass mainly occurs in people who are not physically active. People who are not active can lose 3-5% of muscle mass every 10 years after the age of 30 years. Because it is caused by aging factors, generally people who suffer from sarcopenia are elderly people.

Each time you lose muscle mass, it means that your muscle strength and ability to move decreases. So, sarcopenia can then limit your daily activities and make your quality of life decrease. Sarcopenia can occur at any age. around 13-24% occur at the age of 65-70 years and more than 50% occur at the age 80 years and over

People who have big muscles may be considered "cool" by many people, so it's no wonder that many people are competing to grow their muscles, especially men. However, you need to know that until you are about 30 years old the muscles in the body can get bigger and stronger. However, after the age of 30 years, muscle mass and muscle strength can begin to decline. So if you want to gain muscle, do the exercises before you turn 30 years of age.

How to prevent sarcopenia?

Surely you don't want to experience sarcopenia or lose muscle mass at an earlier age, right? Relax, there are several ways you can do to prevent sarcopenia. Here's how.

1. Muscle endurance exercise

The more muscles are used, the more muscle mass and strength increase. When muscle is used, muscle will increase protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown. That way, muscle mass also increases. So, people who rarely exercise are more at risk of losing muscle mass at an earlier age, because he rarely strengthens his muscles.

Exercise, especially resistance training that aims to strengthen muscles, is very effective at preventing sarcopenia. This is because resistance training can affect the neuromuscular system, protein synthesis, and hormones, all of which affect muscle mass and strength.

Aerobic exercise also seems to help prevent sarcopenia. This is because aerobic exercise can increase protein synthesis, increase insulin sensitivity, and decrease oxidative stress, which also affects muscle mass and strength. Elderly people who do aerobic or resistance training may be able to rebuild muscle strength.

2. Fulfill the following nutrients

Food and nutrition play an important role in maintaining muscle mass and strength, especially protein.

Protein is needed to build and maintain muscle mass. The amino acids present in protein are compounds needed to stimulate protein synthesis in muscles so that adequate protein intake is needed by the elderly to maintain muscle mass.

Research has also shown that older people need more protein than younger people. Protein intake of 1-1.2 grams per kg body weight per day is the optimal intake for the elderly.

Foods that contain high-quality protein are very influential in increasing muscle mass. High protein foods, such as milk and dairy products, can increase protein synthesis in muscles for longer. The whey protein in milk can increase protein synthesis in muscles quickly. Meanwhile, casein in milk can maintain the increase in protein synthesis for longer and reduce the breakdown of muscle protein.

Apart from protein, meeting the energy needs as well as vitamins and minerals from vegetables and fruits is also important for adults and the elderly to prevent sarcopenia.