For humans, it needs more than just greens to gain muscle mass, even though Popeye ate cans of spinach to gain bulk.
Our body contains more than 600 muscles; some, like those in our heart and organs, are autonomic, while others, like those in our skeleton, are within our control. Every day, they assist us in walking, standing, lifting, talking, and even eating.
Sadly, as we get older, our muscles lose size, strength, and functionality, which can make daily activities like getting out of bed and going to the restroom difficult. Weak muscles also make us more susceptible to fractures, falls, long-term illnesses, and premature death. It is crucial that we take all action possible to preserve our muscle mass because of this. We’ll look at the advantages of preserving muscle mass and share three methods supported by science to keep your muscles robust and healthy below.
Advantages of Muscle Mass
Boosts Your Metabolism:
We can maintain a healthy weight and speed up our metabolism by increasing our muscular mass. “It’s so important for healthy aging and longevity because it helps keep our metabolism functioning optimally as we age, being one of our most metabolically active tissues in the body.” Our resting metabolic rate increases with muscle mass. More muscle mass also results in an increase in our basal metabolic rate, which measures how many calories our bodies require at rest.
Promotes Healthy Aging:
Even while manufacturers of skin care products and supplements tempt us with promises of perpetual youth, the real secret to looking youthful and having a long life is found in our muscles. Our muscles naturally lose mass and strength as we get older. This is known as sarcopenia, a disorder that can impair your way of life by causing falls, fractures, and weakness. As a result, we can extend our lives of mobility, independence, and activity by investing in our muscular health through the development and maintenance of muscle mass.
Could Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Illness:
Higher muscle mass has also been associated in studies with a decreased risk of chronic illness development. Greater muscle mass is linked to improved long-term health outcomes, which can include comorbidities and cardiovascular disease.In addition to having lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, persons with the most muscle tissue had an 81% decreased risk of suffering a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
Top Strategies to Preserve Muscle
Consume Enough Protein:
Some people may find it difficult to get enough protein or to spread their intake throughout the day, whereas others may never miss a serving on their plates during mealtimes. But since protein is the building ingredient of muscle tissue, “eating enough protein helps maintain our muscle mass.” Foods high in protein can be found in animal sources such as dairy, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and seafood. But there are also excellent plant-based protein sources, such as tofu, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Adults may require more protein than the previous advice of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, according to research published in 2019 in Nutrients, which specifies a range of 1.3 to 1.8 grams.
Engage in exercise:
The adage “Use it or lose it” is well known. That certainly holds true for our muscles. If we’re not using them, they’ll probably get weaker and diminish. Any kind of weight-bearing exercise, like jogging or walking, preserves our bone health and helps us retain our muscle mass as we age.
Engage in strength training:
One of the most crucial and useful workouts to fight aging is strength training, sometimes referred to as resistance training. “Strength exercise improves our metabolism for our lifespan by helping to both build and retain muscular mass.