Quick
stuff´
– fitness at the age of 65+.
meta reviews
These were three different meta-reviews that evaluated the effects of exercise with and without additional protein supplements on muscle strength and function in adults, aged 65 and up.
While two of these meta review studies all looked at older people with sarcopenic obesity and the pertinent health and fitness impact from aerobic, and strength training with or without additional protein supplementation to reach a higher amount of protein per kilo of lean muscle mass, its results are just as noteworthy for older people no matter if you are obese or not.
In my opinion as a coach.
The short story? Regular fitness benefits older people tremendously. Even better if you also increase your daily protein consumption.
We already knew this, so these studies doesnt give us any reason to change current health and fitness coaching guidelines.
But still, it adds to the body of evidence we already have.
clear cut verdict. Maintain your fitness no matter your age.
The verdict is very clear-cut.
You absolutely should sustain your fitness no matter how old you are. Or pick up a regular fitness routine if you are currently not lifting weights. Plenty of studies teach us that the advantageous health impact of fitness and lifting weights increases the older we get.
So fitness is not a young persons adventure.
Skeletal muscle ( What we think of as fat free muscle mass folks ) make up ~ 40% of human body mass on average, the fitter you are, the higher the number, and vice versa. So the actual amount of muscle mass varies greatly among and can be as low as ≤ 13 kg in elderly sedentary women.
Unless we maintain our health and fitness by lifting weights muscle mass naturally starts to decline between 35 to 50 years of age, depending on health status, gender, and physical activity.
A decline in muscle mass is associated with reduced muscle strength, fitness, mobility, core stability & balance, anti-inflammatory aspects, and yes, brain gray matter volume. And finally quality of life.
The amazing thing to take with you from this article is that lifting weights on a weekly basis can mitigate and reverse this decline completely.
In other words, you get to live longer and healthier if you lift weights above 50 years of age, or as the case was with these meta-reviews, at the age of 65+.
And the health benefits might be even bigger for women. But they are very beneficial for both men and women.
The truth is that you can never be so old that going to the gym doesn’t benefit you. It is true that the results of your ongoing fitness routine might decline relative to a younger person, but the benefit on your health and longevity is even more impactful so the importance becomes higher the older we get.
Benefits.
Maintained fitness was shown to improve body composition ( decreased amount of body fat and maintained or increased lean muscle mass ) strength, and functional outcomes ( walking, movement speed, balance and lift, grip, movement strength ). We also know from many other studies that physical activity protects our cognitive functions as we age.
So what is good for your biceps, is equally beneficial for your beautiful grey matter ( thats our brain good folks ).
The consensus on protein recommendations is that they should at the very least align with general sarcopenia guidance.
This means, in my opinion as a fact-based coach, that people above 50 absolutely should start consuming more protein.
Here is why.
The older we get the harder it is to absorb various nutrients. And the further we get into the older stages of life, the harder it becomes to eat enough to cover our nutritional needs. Due to changing taste buds, smell, and declining oral health amongst other things.
So maintain your fitness & a high protein intake even if that means that you have to add a protein shake or two per day.
This is because protein safeguards not just your precious lean muscle mass, and strength, but also your organ health and physical capacity too.
And that combination of physical activity & a high protein diet will keep you healthier throughout your lifespan while improving or maintaining your physical performance as you age, and that also makes it a wonderful quality of-life choice.
What is sarcopenic obesity?
Sarcopenic obesity is the combination of low muscle mass and high body fat. And its prevalence increases with age, particularly after the age of 65 years.
A loss of muscle mass & strength is a main driver of poor health and premature death for a large percentage of elderly people. But the good news is that we can prevent this decline in strength & muscle mass in a significant way by lifting weights & eating more protein even at the age of 70 and above.
1.
Systematic review 1 from 2022,
