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.
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.
“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.
Typically, muscle mass and strength increase steadily from birth and reach their peak at around 30 to 35 years of age. After that, muscle power and performance decline slowly and linearly at first, and then faster after age 65 for women and 70 for men.
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. Both groups typically lose muscle mass because levels of testosterone or estrogen go down as you age.
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.
So in addition to cardiovascular activities, seniors should consider weight training. The American College Of Sports Medicine recommends weight training for all people over age 50 and tells us even those into their 90s can benefit.
In older people's muscles, by comparison, the signal telling muscles to grow is much weaker for a given amount of exercise. These changes begin to occur when a person reaches around 50 years old and become more pronounced as time goes on.
Of the 596 genes, the researchers identified 179 associated with age and exercise that showed a remarkable reversal in their expression profile after six months of resistance training. This literally means that resistance training not only can slow down but also reverse the aging process at the genetic level.
Try strength training: It prevents you from losing muscle mass and strengthens your bones. Aim for 2 days a week. Good choices are lifting weights, using resistance bands, and doing body weight exercises like pushups and situps. A personal trainer can teach you good form to avoid injury.
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.
Because of the factors above, research supports increasing the recommended intake of protein for older adults by up to 50 percent. That means people over age 65 should strive for 0.45 to 0.55 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily, or about 68 to 83 grams for a 150-pound person.
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.
How Much Is Too Much? A study revealed startling evidence that vigorous exercise of more than 7.5 hours per week increased the risk of heart damage, coronary artery calcification, or rhythm disorders.
At the age of 70, you should be able to walk between 480 and 615 yards if you are a woman, and 545 to 680 yards if you're a man. If you managed to walk less than 350 yards, you are dangerously unfit in this category and should consult your physician to design a fitness plan specific to your needs.
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.
Age-related muscle loss, called sarcopenia, is a natural part of aging. After age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% per decade. Most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes.
Calves. Calf muscles are also considered as one of the most difficult to grow in the gym, to the point where many people give up trying. It turns out that the lower leg muscles are not that significantly different from other skeletal muscles.
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.
A new study found that men in their 70s and 80s who had never followed an exercise regimen could build muscle mass as well as "master athletes" -- those of the same age who had worked out throughout their lives and still competed at the top levels of their sports.
Seniors should lift light weights to start with and then progress to heavier weights over time. Lifting heavy weights is safe and recommended for seniors as it helps to improve strength. Strength is lost as you get older but it can be slowed down and even reversed if you haven't been lifting weights regularly.
With lower fat and therefore lower calorie content, lean meat is an excellent source of protein for seniors. The USDA defines lean as having less than 10 grams of fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat per 3.5 ounce (100-gram) serving.
But research indicates that protein requirements increase with age. Recommendations for how much protein is enough for older people vary, but current studies suggest that most people over age 65 should take in about 1 g to 1.2 g of protein/kg of body weight per day to both gain and maintain muscle mass and function.
Many studies share results indicating that whey protein may be most effective for seniors that are struggling to rebuild muscle. When looking for the right protein, whey may be a great option for seniors who have muscle loss as a result of: Inactivity.