Incredible shrinking people


Sarcopenia happens as we age, but it doesn't have to be that way. Why does it happen, and what can we do about it?


Why it matters:
  • "Loss of muscle mass is associated with—and possibly preceded by—muscle weakness, which can make carrying out daily activities, such as climbing stairs or even getting up from a chair, difficult for many seniors."
  • "This can lead to inactivity, which itself leads to muscle loss at any age."
  • "Thus, older people can enter a vicious cycle that will eventually lead to an increased risk of falls, a loss of independence, and even premature death."

The antidote: "…exercise can stave off and even reverse muscle loss and weakness."

How sarcopenia happens.

Muscle stem cells:
  • "…muscle growth and repair are made possible only by the presence of muscle stem cells."

Mitochondrial contributors:
  • "To work efficiently, skeletal muscle needs a sufficient number of fully functional mitochondria."
  • "…mitochondrial dysfunction may be driving sarcopenia."

Protein quality control:
  • "Even if they eat plenty of protein, older people often cannot maintain muscle mass, probably because their bodies cannot turn proteins into muscle fast enough to keep up with the natural rate of the tissue’s breakdown."

Role of exercise in countering sarcopenia:
  • "…the number of satellite cells can be increased by exercise, and active elderly people have more of these cells than more-sedentary individuals do."
  • "A lack of exercise decreases the efficiency and number of mitochondria in skeletal muscle, while exercise promotes mitochondrial health."
  • "Exercise can even spur muscle cells to maintain more-youthful levels of gene transcripts and proteins."
  • "Exercise also appears to influence autophagy."
  • "…exercise can also apparently restore levels of myokines that decline with age."

Overall benefit of exercise:
  • "…exercise can improve overall strength in the elderly, and specifically, the metabolic vigor of skeletal muscle."
  • "…regular exercise combined with good nutrition is still the most effective way to fight sarcopenia, and possibly aging overall."

What kind of exercise? "…high intensity interval training in aerobic exercises such as biking and walking had the greatest effect at the cellular level at combating age-related loss and weakness."

How can you do interval training when you're Nordic walking?
  • Use a route that has small hills/inclines and try to maintain your pace uphill.
  • When in a group, line up single file and walk at a moderate pace. Have the person at the end of the line walk forward at a faster pace. When that person gets to the head of the line, the next person (now that the rear) walks forward to the head of the line. Repeat until everyone has had a chance to do the routine.