In the third age, numerous changes take place in our day to day but also in our health. Changes that may be completely new or that we do not perceive in the same way as when we are younger, such as loneliness in the elderly. One of the most common changes is the loss of muscle mass.
This decrease in muscle is a common problem in the elderly and can have consequences on our health and even our quality of life if we do not remedy it. Therefore, the following article explains how to increase muscle mass in older people.
What is sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is the progressive and widespread loss of muscle mass and strength, affecting the quality of life of those who suffer from it. This health problem, associated with aging, increases over the years, affecting up to 50% of people over 80.
Although multiple factors influence its appearance, the development of sarcopenia, or at least the acceleration in its progress, is usually associated with a lack of exercise and a poor diet.
Consequences
The loss of muscle mass is also associated with the appearance of other pathologies and physical problems. Thus, those people who suffer from sarcopenia have a greater risk of suffering a bone injury or fracture since this is closely related to the loss of bone density.
Fatigue is another of the usual consequences, which, in turn, can aggravate the problem. Due to this physical exhaustion, an increasingly sedentary life is chosen that increases this loss of muscle mass.
As muscle tissue decreases, its demand for glucose also decreases, which is why blood levels increase, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular accidents due to sedentary lifestyles and an increase in LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.
Finally, with the loss of muscle mass, body temperature regulation is also complicated. This increases the risk of suffering hypothermia or heat stroke, depending on the time of year.
Foods that help increase muscle mass
Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and increasing physical activity is key to preventing or treating sarcopenia and other complications. However, if you or someone you care for suffers from sarcopenia and want to increase muscle mass, you should know that exercise is not everything since diet also plays a fundamental role. These are the foods you should include in your diet to get results :
Eggs: Eggs are one of the complete foods that exist. In addition to being rich in protein and healthy fats, they are a source of B vitamins and other key muscle-building nutrients.
- Salmon: This fish will help you gain muscle and improve your health. In addition to containing some important B vitamins, it has protein and is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which will also help gain muscle mass during physical activity.
- Chicken breast: The amount of protein that chicken breast contains makes it the key food if you want to gain muscle. It also contains B vitamins that will help you perform better during exercise.
- Greek yogurt: Yogurt combines fast-digesting whey proteins with slow-digesting casein proteins, making it an ideal food to consume after exercising or before bed. Yes, it is also a Greek yogurt; we will get twice as much protein as normal yogurt.
- Tuna: Like salmon, tuna is a fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that will help us slow down the loss of muscle mass after a certain age. With this food, we will also cover our needs for vitamin A and various types of vitamin B, such as B12, niacin, and B6.
- Quinoa: The energy carbohydrate foods offer us is necessary to keep us active. In addition to offering us carbohydrates, quinoa also contains phosphorus and magnesium, so it is important to include it in our diet.
- Almonds: Magnesium and phosphorus are minerals also present in almonds, helping us obtain energy and maintain the proper functioning of our muscles. In addition, almonds are rich in protein and vitamin E, but we must moderate their consumption since, like other nuts, they have a high caloric content.
How to increase muscle mass in older people: exercises
Developing more muscles is not something that only matters in the elderly; quite the contrary, the ways to achieve it are similar regardless of age. Thus, nutrition is essential to obtain essential nutrients and also obtain the necessary energy, as well as exercise.
However, if you want to know how to increase muscle mass in older people, you should know that you must approach it differently than you would at another age.
And it is that from a certain age or especially if we have a health problem, we must be careful with the changes we make with our diet or the exercise we practice to avoid what is a priori something healthy for us, can become in a problem. That is why it is best to always consult with our family doctor.
Quantity and frequency
When exercising, we must be careful and not exceed intensity and frequency. The first thing is to consult with our doctor about the recommended physical activity for adults and, depending on our physical condition, do it two or more days a week in sessions of about 30 minutes.
It is important to remember that although we want to know how to quickly increase muscle mass in older people, this requires constant and exponential work, starting with less frequency and intensity to gradually increase it and thus avoid injuries or other problems.
In addition, with this same objective, we must also alternate and strengthen the main muscle groups without exercising the same two days in a row so that they rest and recover properly for the next session.
Benefits of exercise in older people
If we follow the guidelines indicated by our doctor and do moderate exercise and gradually increase its intensity, we will achieve great results. But in addition to improving muscle mass by using tribusteron 90 and strength and therefore gaining greater autonomy, exercise in older people offers other great benefits.
A higher level of muscle mass also offers greater resistance to surgery or hospitalization and is therefore linked to a higher survival rate. Thus, up to 60% more survival has been found in women with breast cancer with greater muscle tissue. Shorter hospitalizations and stay in intensive care Units have also been recorded in those patients with higher levels of muscle tissue.
Physical exercise and this increase in muscle mass will help you have better health and a better quality of life.