Sarcopenia

• By vishwa on Health

• November 15, 2016

Thanks to the book titled the Edge of Strength written by Scot Lardella. After eighteen years of lifting weights and fifteen years of studying fitness science I didn’t know the word sarcopenia. Atrophy is the word used to suggest muscle wasting. However, the progressive loss of skeletal muscle that comes with aging is called sarcopenia says Scot.

As the author suggests most people begin to lose muscle mass after the age of thirty which results in strength loss. Nonetheless, my experience says that in addition to losing muscle as we age, the affinity of the aging body is to store fat than muscle. For example, when I look back it was easy for me to build and sustain muscle when I was in my 20’s; whereas now, I am 40 year old, I see that I can relatively gain fat easily because of the slower metabolic rate caused by aging. Likewise, gaining muscle is also a huge challenge.

So, both sarcopenia and fat storage go hand in hand. For instance, whenever I look at people, outside the gym, I observe that they are devoid of muscle. On a similar note, they might be eating whole lot of carbohydrates (spiking their insulin level and thus storing excess fat) and junk and not eating enough protein. Nonetheless, I see that the muscle loss is so evident that they possess a bloated midriff, thin legs, butt, shoulders and arms. A very unhealthy look, which lacks muscle but fat in abundance–a recipe for disaster.

Similarly, the naivety people show towards resistance training is astounding. It also indicates that people are misinformed about strength training and its varied benefit. Nothing can be farther from the truth. You should know that on the flipside of sarcopenia, gaining muscle through strength training is a very potent way to combat the muscle loss. Moreover, strength training benefits are numerous such as, anti-aging, increased metabolic rate, injury prevention, increases flexibility and mobility, getting stronger bones, more power and strength, tackling depression and fighting the blues, boosting self-esteem, protect the heart by improving cardio strength, etc.

If sarcopenia is inconvenient, don’t mind. A strong way to combat its effects is at your disposal. Perform strength training at least thrice in a week by executing only compound—multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, clean and press, etc. Go ahead and use your muscles the right way or lose them at your peril.