Why women lose strength as they age - and what you can do about it.
Training for your summer body? Hell no, we’re training for our old lady body. Dense bones. Strong muscles. A healthy heart. Good balance. Functional independence.
Most people, as they age, lose muscle mass and strength, it’s a condition called sarcopenia. How much muscle is lost varies from person to person, but without significant intervention, most people lose 3 to 8% per decade, starting in their 40s, which is why we're talking about it. Any illness or injury that stops you from doing your day-to-day activities, even for a short time, can speed up muscle loss.
Men and women are both highly susceptible to sarcopenia, but muscle loss happens differently depending on gender. Because of menopause, sarcopenia in women advances earlier and more rapidly until age 80, when men finally catch up.
Muscle loss and the resulting loss of strength can significantly impact a person’s mobility, independence, well-being and quality of life. It can sneak up on people because early muscle loss isn’t really noticeable - lifting familiar items may become challenging and short walks may feel longer. Another relatively early skill people can lose is the ability to sit down on the floor and get back up again without using their hands or knees. In later stage sarcopenia, people may struggle with stairs, getting in and out of cars and chairs, managing heavy items like groceries and walking extended distances. When daily tasks become challenging, people are at greater risk of falls.
Why does it happen?
Muscles are made of thousands of long, protein rich cells called muscle fibres that exists in a constant state of breakdown and rebuilding due to the strain of physical activity. The exact mechanism of why the loss is fast-tracked at this stage is unclear but it's suggested to be linked with the reduction of oestrogen, DHEA and possibly Growth Hormone. But other factors like the reduced sensitivity of insulin, reduced circulation, dehydration, increased inflammation and oxidative stress may also be causative factors.
Additionally, muscles can accumulate fatty stores due to menopausal weight gain. Because fat deposits can't contract, they stiffen muscles and make them weaker. When fat cells in the body are stuffed with excess fat, the surrounding tissue becomes inflamed. That chronic, low-level inflammation is one of the driving factors behind many of the diseases associated with obesity.
On the flip side, myokines are anti-inflammatory and are made by your muscle cells. You can literally build an anti-inflammatory suit of iron on your body by building muscle. If you do nothing, fatty infiltrate overtakes your muscles, and they start to waste away. So, if you’re more fat than muscle, regardless of your size, you are in trouble.
What can you do??
Weight training. Muscle mass is non-negotiable which means strength training is non-negotiable. Women who are more muscular and physically fit before menopause are less likely to develop sarcopenia later in life, especially if they stay active. Hire a coach such as @athletex or @intrepidus_strength or find someone else to help you. Body weight exercises are nice, weights are better. Yoga, hiking & walking don’t count, they are simply added bonuses. You need to lift heavy stuff and put it down again. Aim for 2-3 sessions a week.
Eat protein with every meal. Your protein requirements go up as you get older. Aim for a minimum 1.2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight to curve muscle wastage. If you weigh 65kg this looks like a two-egg omelette for breakfast, 100gm tin of salmon for lunch, a small tub of Greek yoghurt as a snack and a chicken breast for dinner. If you find it hard to eat enough protein or digest it as you get older, you may want to supplement with a protein shake such as @180nutrition.
Get your Vitamin D checked. Optimal Vitamin D (100-120nmol/L) helps increase muscle fibre numbers and muscle fibre size, increases protein synthesis, decreases inflammation, decreases intramuscular fat, and increases lean muscle mass and strength.
Eat your phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens help to slow sarcopenia at menopause. One study found that 70mg of isoflavones (a type of phytoestrogen) daily for 24 weeks significantly increased lean muscle mass. Good sources include legumes, tofu, tempeh, edamame beans, broccoli or mung bean sprouts, nuts & seeds.
Get mobile. If you’ve noticed it’s harder to get up and down off the floor without help, check out @the_a_life, they are a great resource that you can use anywhere.