Strength training is the secret to muscle growth for older adults. It's best to do this with light weights and to work slowly. Slow movements with lighter weights force your muscles to work harder. If you don't have a set of weights, you can use your body weight with resistance exercises like push-ups and squats.
Seniors Can Still Bulk Up On Muscle By Pressing Iron Our muscle mass decreases at surprising rates as we get older. But researchers found that people older than 50 can not only maintain but actually increase their muscle mass by lifting weights.
It's Never Too Late to Build Muscle
Though you might not see improvement in days, you likely will in weeks. For example, one German review found measurable increases in muscle size occur in as little as six to nine weeks of consistent strength training in adults older than 60.
Yes, strength training is important to getting a lean body after 60. "Bone density improves with resistance training and you build muscles, which is needed as you age," says Malek.
Adults aged 65 and older need: At least 150 minutes a week (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking. Or they need 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity such as hiking, jogging, or running. At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles.
Vitamin D may be protective for muscle loss; a more alkalinogenic diet and diets higher in the anti-oxidant nutrients vitamin C and vitamin E may also prevent muscle loss.
Researchers say protein shakes combined with exercises showed significant health benefits in a group of men over the age of 70. Senior citizens may want to take a tip from body builders and make whey protein shakes a regular part of their diets.
Gaining Muscle Mass by Lifting Weights
Resistance exercise like weight training is one of the best ways of reversing the loss of muscle mass as you age. It benefits both men and women.
“Muscle mass peaks around age 40. [Then it] begins to decline due to sarcopenia,” explains Pete Rufo, a performance coach at Beast Training Academy in Chicago. “A major contributor to muscle mass decline is lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles.
Physical activity: Your healthcare provider may recommend progressive resistance-based strength training. This type of exercise can help improve your strength and reverse your muscle loss. Healthy diet: When paired with regular exercise, eating a healthy diet can also help reverse the effects of sarcopenia.
Most researchers advise training at least three times a week but not more than six. If you are using resistance-training equipment, then allow for a two-minute rest period between each machine. Training the low back muscles once a week seems to be just as effective as doing it more often.
The Best Sources. Meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy provide protein, as you probably know. But you can also get plenty from plant sources such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy, and whole grains.
Whey is one of the highest quality proteins and is ideal for older persons," says Stuart Phillips, senior author on the paper and a professor of kinesiology at McMaster. Researchers set out to compare the impact of whey versus collagen protein on muscle loss during periods of inactivity and then recovery.
“Research shows that, even into your late 80s, your body still has the potential to build muscle mass,” Stacy Schroder, director of wellness at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, said.
As for both brand's high protein products, Ensure Max Protein and Boost Max provide virtually the same amount of nutrients. However, Boost's High Protein shake packs a significantly higher number of calories and more carbs and sugar than the Ensure counterpart.
The Best Nutritional Drink For Seniors
If you're adding a nutritional drink between meals for seniors to help them meet their calorie goals, there are several drinks that aren't filled with sugar. These include Ensure High Protein shake, Ensure Light, Boost Max, Boost Glucose Control, Glucerna, and Premier.
Potential digestive issues
If you're lactose intolerant or otherwise sensitive to lactose, dairy-based protein powder may lead to stomach upset, bloating, and gas. Instead, opt for a plant-based protein powder or try whey protein isolate, which is much lower in lactose than other dairy protein powders ( 29 ).
Eating protein‑rich foods to help build muscle is the key. “To build muscle, you need 0.45 gram of protein per pound of body weight,” Calabrese says. For example, a person weighing 140 pounds should eat 63 grams of protein a day (140 x 0.45). Good sources are milk, cheese, eggs, poultry, fish, peanuts and beans.
Disuse (physiologic) atrophy can be treated with regular exercise and better nutrition. Your healthcare provider may recommend physical therapy or an exercise plan. Even if you can't actively move certain joints in your body, you can do still exercises wearing a splint or brace.
The cause is age-related sarcopenia or sarcopenia with aging. Physically inactive people can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you'll still have some muscle loss. There's no test or specific level of muscle mass that will diagnose sarcopenia.