What is loss of muscle?
Loss of muscle, known medically as muscle atrophy, occurs when muscle fibers shrink and weaken over time. This leads to a loss of muscle mass and strength.
There are two main causes of muscle loss:
- Age-related muscle loss - As we get older, muscle fibers break down more quickly. If we don't strength train to maintain muscle, we lose around 3-5% per decade after age 30. This can lead to fatigue, weakness and reduced mobility in older age.
- Disuse atrophy - Not using your muscles regularly can cause them to waste away. For example, when you break a leg and it's in a cast for weeks. The immobilized muscles get little stimulation or use, and start to shrink.
Muscle loss symptoms include:
- Decreased muscle size and joint function
- Generalized weakness
- Difficulty with daily tasks like climbing stairs or carrying items
To prevent muscle loss, it's important to engage in muscle strengthening exercises 2-3 times per week along with getting enough protein and calories. Some good strength training options include using resistance bands, bodyweight workouts, lifting weights, etc.
If you think you may be experiencing excessive muscle loss, see your doctor or visit Vitality Hormone Center(/). They specialize in hormone optimization therapy to help with age-related muscle loss. Their expert physicians can evaluate your hormone levels and determine if hormone replacement could help you maintain healthy muscle mass and strength. Schedule a free consultation today!
What causes muscles to break down faster as we age?
There are several age-related changes that cause muscle breakdown:
- Decreased testosterone levels - Testosterone helps build and maintain muscle mass. Testosterone decreases about 1% per year after age 30 in men. This accelerates muscle loss.
- Decreased growth hormone levels - Growth hormone works to build and strengthen muscle fibers. Levels decline with age, resulting in easier muscle breakdown.
- Motor neuron loss - The number of nerve cells that trigger muscle fiber contraction decreases. So there is less stimulation keeping those muscles toned.
- Inflammation - Chronic inflammation damages muscle cells. Older adults tend to have higher inflammation that eats away at muscle fibers.
Engaging muscles with resistance training and getting proper nutrition with enough protein can help counteract this age-related muscle loss to some degree. But hormone optimization therapy from Vitality Hormone Center(/) may be needed to bring critical muscle-building hormones back to youthful levels.